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INDIA-POLITICS-UNREST-PAKISTAN-KASHMIR
Soldier killed in Kashmir border clash: India
SRINAGAR, India, Aug 23, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – An Indian soldier was killed by
Pakistani forces on the Kashmir border, the military said Friday, as a tense
lockdown in the region of seven million residents entered its third week.
The nuclear-armed neighbours regularly target each other with mortar
shells and gunfire on the de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC)
in the disputed Himalayan territory which is claimed by both India and
Pakistan.
But the latest skirmish comes as ties hit a new low after India revoked
the autonomy of the part of the region it controls, sparking protests from
the local population and outrage from Pakistan.
The Indian soldier was manning a post in mountainous Rajouri district
Friday when he came under unprovoked fire from across the border, local media
reports said.
A New Delhi based Indian Army spokesman confirmed the incident to AFP.
The death was the fourth claimed by the Indian side since the August 5
decision to strip the region’s special constitutional status.
Pakistan’s military has said five people including three soldiers have
died in shelling by Indian forces.
The border clashes are happening amid a curfew in the valley, including
its main city of Srinagar Friday, over fears of large scale street protests
against India’s move.
Posters have sprung up across the region calling for a public march to the
local UN office after Friday prayers.
Sporadic demonstrations have rocked some parts of Srinagar, with clashes
between stone-throwing protesters and government forces leaving more than 100
injured.
Residents in the Muslim-majority region have complained of a stifling
environment as well as the inability to get in touch with family and friends
worried about their well-being, although some of the restrictions have been
eased in recent days.
Kashmir has waged a three-decade long armed rebellion against Indian rule
with tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians, lost in the conflict.
Ahead of its controversial announcement, India rushed tens of thousands of
extra troops to the restive region to join 500,000 already in the valley, and
imposed a strict communications clampdown.
The near-total communications blackout has triggered global concern, with
a group of UN human rights experts warning Thursday it amounted to
“collective punishment” and risked exacerbating regional tensions.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1622 hrs