Two Indian Army soldiers were on Friday killed in a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar and three others were injured, according to CNN-News 18.
Earlier in the evening, the ANI had reported that four soldiers were injured in the gunfight.
The agency reported that the security forces were carrying out an operation against terrorists in the forested area of Pingnal Dugadda in the upper reaches of Naidgham in J&K’s Kishtwar.
Of the four injured personnel, the agency quoted Army officials as saying that one of them was evacuated to the nearby Command Hospital for treatment while the others were being treated locally.
The gunfight comes just days ahead of the assembly elections in J&K. Ahead of the elections, the security forces and agencies are on a high alert and have ramped up operations against terrorists.
For the first time in nearly 10 years, assembly elections are being held in J&K in three phases. The voting will take place on September 15, Sept. 25, and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on Oct. 4.
Assembly elections were last held in J&K in 2014 — when it was still an undivided state. After weeks of negotiations, the PDP and BJP formed a coalition government in 2015 that lasted till 2018 when the Mehbooba Mufti-led government fell after the BJP withdrew support. Months later, the then-J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik dissolved the assembly and then, in 2019, the Narendra Modi government abrogated Article 370, converted J&K into a union territory, and separated Ladakh into a separate UT.
The J&K has therefore been without an elected assembly for around six years now and elections have been due for nearly five years.
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2 Indian Army soldier killed, 3 injured in gunfight in Jammu & Kashmir’s Kishtwar
