India: Clashes between soldiers and separatists in Jammu & Kashmir August 7

Event

Four Indian soldiers and two separatist insurgents were killed on Tuesday, August 7, in a gunfight that broke out along the border dividing the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The clashes occurred after militants crossed the border from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (under the sovereignty of Pakistan) into the India-held portion of Kashmir (known officially as the Jammu and Kashmir state) in Gurez sector.

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

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