Two Indian soldiers and a suspected militant were killed in a protracted gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said on Saturday. The fighting, one of the longest in the region in recent times, commenced on August 1st after Indian troops initiated a cordon and search operation in the Akhal forested area of the southern Kulgam district following intelligence reports of insurgent activity.
Multiple search operations by the soldiers led to a series of exchanges of fire with the militants. Initially, one militant was killed, and seven soldiers were wounded. Intermittent fighting continued as troops deployed helicopters and drones to engage an unspecified number of militants in the vast, forested area. According to officials, two army soldiers were killed and two more were injured on Friday, the eighth day of the operation. The Indian army, in a social media statement, confirmed that the operation was ongoing on Saturday but did not provide further details. The Associated Press was unable to independently verify the details.
According to police, the gunfight began after joint contingents of the army, police, and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force launched a joint operation based on specific intelligence suggesting the presence of a large group of militants in the Akhal area. Local media reports, quoting official sources, indicated that two more soldiers were injured in the gun battle, bringing the total number of wounded soldiers to 10 since the beginning of the operation. The Indian army reported on August 2nd that a militant had been killed in the operation.
The slain soldiers have been identified as Lance Naik Pritpal Singh and Sepoy Harminder Singh. "Chinar Corps honours the supreme sacrifice of the Bravehearts, L/Nk Pritpal Singh and Sep Harminder Singh, in the line of duty for the Nation. Their courage and dedication will forever inspire us. Operation continues," the army tweeted.
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting against New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists that the Kashmir militancy is "Pakistan-sponsored terrorism," a charge Pakistan denies. Many Kashmiris consider it a legitimate freedom struggle. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels, and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
Security forces have intensified anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir following the Pahalgam terrorist attacks of April 22, in which Pakistan-based terrorists killed 26 civilians, mostly tourists. Operation Akhal was launched after security forces killed the Lashkar terrorists behind the Pahalgam massacre near Srinagar's Dachigam area in Operation Mahadev. The very next day, on July 29, another operation named Shiv Shakti was carried out where two more terrorists were eliminated by the Army. Altogether, around 20 high-profile terrorists have been eliminated after the April 22 attack.
