Indian Troops Kill 2 Terrorists Attempting to Cross Border in Kashmir

Indian soldiers killed two terrorists, who tried to cross into the country in Gurez area in the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, disputed by Pakistan, the police said Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The terrorists have been eliminated after Indian troops noticed "suspicious movement" during a routine patrol at Dhurmut forest area at Kundalwan in Gurez, according to local media.

"Two terrorists were shot down today in the ensuing gunfight," the official said, as quoted by the Times of India media outlet.

The Jammu and Kashmir region, which is disputed by India and Pakistan, has seen a rise in attempts to cross the border and killings. On Monday, five militants who tried to cross the border were killed.Another incident took place a week before, when two Indian soldiers were killed in a clash with militants.

The region has been disputed since the end of British rule in India in 1947. Following several armed conflicts, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire in 2003. Since then, both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating the truce. The unstable situation in the region led to the emergence of extremist groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group (banned in Russia).

A significant escalation of tensions in the region occurred in July 2016 after Indian security forces killed popular militant leader Burhan Wani.