Thousands of soldiers and paramilitaries were Thursday engaged in a huge anti-militant operation in Indian-administered Kashmir, where armed rebels have repeatedly attacked government forces in recent weeks. Police said government forces had surrounded at least 20 villages in the drive, launched early Thursday in Shopian district in the volatile south of the disputed Himalayan region. Last week militants killed three soldiers in a pre-dawn assault on a garrison near the de-facto border known as the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The Kashmir valley has been tense since early April, when election day violence kicked off a series of anti-India protests including by students. Popular support for the militants has also risen and villagers now regularly come out onto the streets during operations to throw stones at government forces.

Source: Dhaka Tribune May 04, 2017 10:41 UTC