Kashmir: 2 militants killed, blast injures several

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - Indian forces killed at least two militants in Jammu and Kashmir, local media reported Tuesday.

According to Press Trust of India (PTI), a gun fight between militants and Indian armed forces broke out in southern Pulwama district on Monday night.

“The encounter broke out after militants fired on security personnel posted at a vehicle checkpoint,” the report said.

The Indian forces have launched massive operations to nab militant presence in the area.

In a related development, several people were injured in a grenade blast in the state capital Srinagar.

PTI reported that a grenade was lobbed near Kashmir University in Hazratbal area.

The incidents come a day after reports poured in that the Indian government has deployed special forces to counter militancy in the conflict-hit Muslim majority region.

On Aug. 5, 2019, the Indian government scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, which allowed citizens to enact their own laws.

The provisions also protected the region's citizenship law, which barred outsiders from settling in or owning land in the territory.

Tensions have since been high in the region with key leaders put in prison or under house arrest. Internet services have also been clamped down in the Himalayan state.

India and Pakistan both hold Kashmir in parts and claim it in full. China also controls part of the contested region, but it is India and Pakistan who have fought two wars over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.