The army has beefed up security in Jammu and Kashmir, bordering Pakistan, ahead of state-level elections
Indian security forces thwarted a terrorist infiltration attempt in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region, days ahead of a crucial election. Two suspected terrorists were neutralized in an operation launched after intelligence agencies and J&K police issued an alert about a “likely infiltration bid” in the Rajouri district, Indian media reported on Monday.
A large quantity of weapons, including two AK-47s and a pistol, were recovered during the operation, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army stated on X (formerly Twitter).
A search operation has also been launched in the area as the Indian Army suspects that at least two more terrorists were wounded in a gun battle that took place in the area.
The development comes amid heightened tensions with neighbouring Pakistan – and also days ahead of Assembly Elections scheduled to take place across J&K from September 18 to October 1. These are the first polls to elect a local government since 2014, as no state-level elections were held in the Muslim-majority region after its status changed in 2019, when Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was abrogated. The article had granted a certain level of autonomy to J&K.
OP KANCHI: UPDATE Search operations have resulted in the additional recovery of one M4 rifle. So far two AK-47, one M-4 with sight, one pistol, eight grenades, assorted ammunition, personal clothing and miscellaneous war like stores have been recovered.
Kashmir has been a flashpoint in the dispute between nuclear-power neighbors, India and Pakistan. Tensions escalated after 2019, when Islamabad reacted to New Delhi’s move by downgrading ties with India. Last year, Pakistan strongly rejected the Indian Supreme Court’s judgment upholding the abrogation of the article.
The security situation in J&K has deteriorated in recent months with a surge in terrorist attacks and encounters between suspected militants and armed forces. Preparations for polling across the region, including in remote villages along the Line of Control (LoC), which separates India and Pakistan, are being conducted against the backdrop of heightened security measures, India Today reported on Monday.
New Delhi has repeatedly accused Pakistan of sponsoring cross-border terrorism. Earlier this year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Pakistan was “failing to learn from history” by backing terrorists. Islamabad has denounced the comments as “bravado and jingoism.”
Last month, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar suggested that “the era of uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistan is over,” and vowed that New Delhi would “react” whether its relations with Islamabad take a positive or negative direction. Earlier, Jaishankar had claimed that Islamabad was sponsoring terrorism at almost an “industry level.”
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