India: Two soldiers killed in Kashmir ahead of Modi rally

Two Indian soldiers were killed, and two others injured in a gunfight with suspected militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the region.

The firefight occurred in the southern Kishtwar district. The strike against the militants was a joint operation between the army and local police, according to the Indian army.

On Saturday, Modi is scheduled to address an election rally in the adjoining Doda district.

In a post on X, the Indian army saluted the "supreme sacrifice of the bravehearts."

The president of the opposition Congress Party, Mallikarjun Kharge, also paid tribute to the fallen soldiers adding that "India is united in fighting the scourge of terrorism," in a social media post.

Meanwhile, local media reports said a suspected militant was killed by security forces in Kashmir's Baramulla region on Saturday.

Violence ahead of election

Clashes between rebels and security forces have increased ahead of the first local assembly polls in a decade in the restive Himalayan region.

The union territory has also been without a local government since India's central government revoked its semi-autonomy in 2019 and made it a federally controlled area.

Almost 8.7 million people are eligible to vote in the September 18 election in a three-phased ballot. The results are expected in October.

Tens of thousands of security forces have been deployed to oversee the proceedings.

ss/dj (AFP, DW sources)