India: Clashes in Kashmir kill at least 9 people
At least three Indian soldiers and three civilians were killed in a fierce gun battle on November 27 between Indian security forces and militants who broke into the town of Arnia, in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Indian army spokesman Manish Mehta said militants attacked a military checkpoint in Arnia, about 4 km from the border with Pakistan. Indian security forces responded to the militants for several hours, killing at least three. The fighting is still ongoing. In addition, Indian security forces promptly prevented another infiltration by militants in Rajouri district, along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.
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| An attack in Kashmir. (Source: EPA) |
The attack occurred ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Jammu on November 28 to campaign for the BJP in the second phase of the Jammu-Kashmir state assembly elections. The Border Security Force (BSF), in coordination with the Indian Army and police, launched a raid against militants in the area, arresting a suspect and seizing an AK-47 rifle with 30 magazines, a Pakistan-made pistol and 8,100 Pakistani rupees. Indian security forces have been deployed along the border and in areas of Jammu city.
The clashes took place as leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries met in Nepal. At the summit, Prime Minister Modi recalled the bloody attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai on November 26, 2008, and called on SAARC member countries to commit to fighting terrorism and transnational crime.
In 2003, India and Pakistan signed a ceasefire agreement along the LoC. However, this agreement has been violated many times. Last October, gun battles between the two countries' forces left 20 civilians dead and dozens injured on both sides./.
According to VNA
