India: Militants kill one in grenade attack in Awantipora (Kashmir) August 17

Event

Suspected militants launched a grenade attack on a security forces installation in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district (Kashmir) on Friday, August 17, killing one person and wounding three others after the grenade missed its target and detonated. In a separate incident, Indian troops killed at least three militants near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Tangdhar area of Kupwara district (Kashmir) on the evening of Saturday, August 18 (local time). Additional militant attacks on security forces, as well as counterterrorism operations carried out by military forces, are to be anticipated in Kashmir in the near-term.

Context

Insurgents (locals or Pakistani nationals) have been fighting Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir since 1989. Some 70,000 people have died and many more have been injured in related violence, uprisings, and military crackdowns.

Advice

Individuals in the abovementioned areas are advised to monitor developments to the situation, remain vigilant for militant activity, report all suspicious objects and behavior to the police, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.

As a reminder, some Western governments advise their citizens against travel to parts of Kashmir, notably areas along the LoC, due to the significant risk of violence.