logo
Four policemen, two suspected rebels killed in India-administered Kashmir

Four policemen, two suspected rebels killed in India-administered Kashmir

Al Jazeera31-03-2025

At least four police officers and two suspected rebels have been killed during a gun battle in the India-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian army's Rising Star Corps said on social media on Saturday morning that 'relentless operations' had led to the 'elimination of two terrorists' – a term usually referring to rebels opposed to Indian rule in Kashmir.
'We have recovered bodies of three policemen and have also spotted the body of another cop and two militants lying in the forest,' the official, who did not want to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, told the Reuters news agency.
Arms and ammunition, including two grenades, a bulletproof jacket, empty shells and some magazines of assault rifles were also recovered from the area, the official said.
For decades, rebel groups have fought security officials in the region, resulting in a death toll in the thousands. But in recent years, violence has tapered off.
Still, according to government data, at least 14 security personnel were killed in such fighting in the first half of 2024, and at least 30 were killed in 2023.
The latest bout of fighting in the region began on Thursday in the forested area near the city of Kathua in the southern region of Jammu, near India's border with Pakistan, after a police foot patrol was ambushed while searching for fighters, police chief Nalin Prabhat told reporters on Friday night.
The police chief accused the rebels, who were believed to have escaped a cordon by security forces four days earlier, of being from Pakistan, without elaborating.
'We will not sleep till we stop such activities of our neighbour,' Prabhat said, referring to Pakistan.
The Muslim-majority Kashmir has been at the core of more than 70 years of hostility between India and Pakistan, with both countries claiming complete control over the region.
But India regularly accuses Pakistan of pushing fighters across the heavily militarised unofficial border in Kashmir to attack Indian security forces.
However, Pakistan denies the allegations, saying it only supports Kashmir's fight for self-determination.
Rebel groups have also been fighting for decades to demand either independence for Kashmir or to merge with Pakistan.
But since 2019, the region has bubbled in anger after New Delhi ended Kashmir's semi-autonomy and curbed dissent, civil liberties and media freedoms while at the same time increasing counterinsurgency operations.
In November last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed the decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir's partial autonomy after the territory's newly elected lawmakers sought restoration.
'Only the constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar will operate in Kashmir … No power in the world can restore Article 370 (partial autonomy) in Kashmir,' Modi said, referring to one of the founding fathers of the Indian constitution.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pakistan ramps up defence spending by 20 percent after India conflict
Pakistan ramps up defence spending by 20 percent after India conflict

Al Jazeera

time5 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Pakistan ramps up defence spending by 20 percent after India conflict

Pakistan has announced a major boost to defence spending in its new budget, just weeks after coming to the brink of a fifth war with archrival India. The budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026, announced by the government on Tuesday, ramps up defence spending to 2.55 trillion rupees ($9bn), up 20 percent from the current fiscal year, which ends this month. The hike in defence expenditures comes amid a cut in overall spending, which is shrinking by 7 percent to 17.57 trillion rupees ($62bn). The budget reflects Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's goals of spurring growth while boosting Pakistan's military in the wake of the most serious conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours in nearly three decades. The bitter foes attacked each other with fighter jets, missiles, drones and artillery for several days in May before a ceasefire was declared. The hostilities were triggered by a deadly attack by gunmen in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, which India accused Pakistan of supporting. Pakistan denied any role in the attack. A 20 percent boost in defence spending had been expected by economists, who said it would likely be offset by cuts in development spending, the Reuters news agency reported. India's defence spending in its 2025-2026 fiscal year, running from April to March, was set at $78.7bn, up nearly 10 percent from the previous year, and it has indicated it will ramp up its spending further in future budgets.

Trump travel ban on 12 countries comes into effect
Trump travel ban on 12 countries comes into effect

Qatar Tribune

timea day ago

  • Qatar Tribune

Trump travel ban on 12 countries comes into effect

dpa Washington A travel ban on 12 countries by US President Donald Trump has come into force. According to a White House statement, the regulation came into effect early on Monday (0401 GMT). Trump announced the ban on Wednesday, saying that he 'must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people.' The ban fully restricts the entry of nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted, Trump's proclamation adds. A fact sheet issued by the White House stated that some of the named countries had 'inadequate screening and vetting processes, hindering America's ability to identify potential security threats before entry.' Other countries 'exhibit high visa overstay rates,' or did not cooperate in sharing identity and threat information, it added. Trump placed travel restrictions on a group of predominantly Muslim nations as one of his first presidential acts after he first took office in 2017. Several federal courts tried to block the ban, before the Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that it was 'squarely within the scope of Presidential authority.'

Curfew, internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur
Curfew, internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur

Qatar Tribune

timea day ago

  • Qatar Tribune

Curfew, internet shutdown in India's violence-hit Manipur

Authorities have imposed a curfew and shut down the internet in parts of the troubled north-eastern Indian state of Manipur after protests erupted over the arrest of leaders from an ethnic group. On Sunday, police arrested five leaders of Arambai Tenggol, an armed Meitei radical group, including their chief Asem Kanan Singh. India's top investigation agency said Singh was arrested at Manipur's Imphal airport for his involvement in 'various criminal activities' related to the violence that broke out in the state in 2023. Manipur has been rocked by periodic violence since 2023 after ethnic clashes between the two largest groups, the majority Meitei and minority Kuki, over land and influence. More than 250 people have been killed in the conflict, with tens of thousands displaced. Arambai Tenggol identifies itself as a social outfit and wields considerable influence in the state, enjoying support from the Meitei community. The latest round of tensions began on June 7, when India's top investigation agency arrested Singh and four other leaders of Arambai Tenggol, following which he was taken to Guwahati city in the neighbouring state of Assam. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating cases related to violence in Manipur, said that the trial for these had been shifted from Manipur to Guwahati in Assam 'in view of the law and order situation in Manipur'. After the arrests, protesters demanding the release of members of Arambai Tenggol stormed a police post, set fire to a bus and blocked roads in parts of Imphal. Some protesters also clashed with security personnel, The Hindu newspaper reported. A 13-year-old boy was injured after security forces fired tear gas shells and live rounds to disperse crowds, The Hindustan Times reported. State lawmaker Okram Surjakumar said the arrests had thrown the state into chaos. Following the violence, the state government suspended internet and mobile data services in five districts of the state for five days and imposed an indefinite curfew in one. Gatherings of four or more people has also been prohibited in the some parts. Arambai Tenggol has also declared a 10-day shutdown in parts of the state since Saturday night. Priyanka Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, on Sunday questioned why the government was unable to bring to peace to the conflict-hit state. Earlier this year, the Indian government brought the state under direct federal rule after the chief minister resigned following criticism from opposition groups. (Agencies)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store