Gun battle marks first deaths after India’s decision to strip Kashmir of autonomy
- Indian police say a soldier and a militant died in a gun battle, while Pakistan says three of its civilians have also died in Indian gunfire
- Up to 4,000 people, many of them young men, have been detained since India stripped Kashmir of its autonomy earlier this month
In a further sign of rising tensions, Pakistan said three of its civilians died in Indian gunfire from across the de facto border in Kashmir known as The Line of Control (LOC).
The Press Trust of India news agency quoted officials as saying one Indian soldier died and four were wounded when Pakistani troops opened fire on forward posts and villages along the LOC in the Poonch district on Tuesday.
“One terrorist killed... Arms and ammunition recovered. Our colleague SPO (special police officer) Billal attained martyrdom. SI (subinspector) Amardeep Parihar injured in the incident is being treated at Army Hospital,” Kashmir Zone Police said on Twitter.
A later tweet said that the dead militant was identified as a local man “affiliated” with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – a UN-listed militant organisation based in Pakistan which is accused by India and the US of masterminding the four-day Mumbai attacks in 2008.
Security and government sources said at least 4,000 people have been detained in Indian-controlled Kashmir since early August when authorities imposed a communications blackout and restricted freedom of movement in the region. Another report said at least 2,300 people, mostly young men, had been detained.