Global Courant 2023-04-20 22:51:35
According to the Indian military, “unidentified terrorists” opened fire on an Indian army vehicle in Kashmir’s Himalayan region, killing at least five soldiers.
India and Pakistan administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the entire region. Rebel groups are fighting for Kashmir’s independence or union with Pakistan. (Tauseef Mustafa / AFP)
According to the military, five Indian army soldiers were killed when rebels fighting against Indian rule ambushed a military vehicle in Indian-administered Kashmir.
A military statement said militants carried out an armed attack on an army vehicle in the southern Rajouri region on Thursday, near the highly militarized Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
The Army said five personnel from the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for “counter-terrorism operations” in this region “sadly lost their lives in the incident”.
“Another seriously injured soldier was immediately evacuated to the Army Hospital in Rajouri and is under treatment,” the statement said.
There was no independent confirmation of the event. Although the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit says operations to find the “perpetrators” are ongoing and more details have been identified.
According to the statement, “unidentified terrorists” ” took advantage of the heavy rain and low visibility in the region.”
“The vehicle caught fire, possibly due to the use of grenades by the terrorists.”
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He is suffering from the tragedy in the Poonch District (J&K), where the Indian Army lost its brave soldiers when a truck caught fire. At this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) 20 April 2023
disputed territory
Nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan administer parts of Kashmir, but both claim the entire region. A small part of the region is also controlled by China.
Since their partition in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars, two for Kashmir in 1948, 1965 and 1971.
Insurgent groups have been fighting for the independence of Indian-administered Kashmir since 1989 or its union with neighboring Pakistan.
Most Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels’ goal of uniting the region as an independent country under Pakistani or against Indian rule.
New Delhi insists that Kashmiri militancy is Pakistan-backed terrorism. Pakistan denies the accusation, and most Kashmiris see it as a legitimate struggle for freedom.
According to various human rights groups, thousands of people have been killed and tortured in conflicts since 1989.
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Source: TRTWorld and its agencies
