SRINAGAR: The bullet-riddled bodies of two policemen were found in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) on Thursday, officials said, a day after suspected rebels wounded three paramilitary personnel in a separate attack.
The back-to-back incidents have raised fresh security concerns in the disputed Himalayan region, days after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated a year without casualties among paramilitary forces.
The two policemen were found dead in Kishtwar, around 220 kilometres (136 miles) southeast of Srinagar, a day after they were reported missing from the same area. Local residents reported hearing gunshots early Thursday.
Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed grief over the incident, saying he was “deeply anguished by the tragic loss” of the two policemen.
Local legislator Shagun Parihar blamed “terrorists”, referring to rebels opposed to Indian rule, and said the attack would be “avenged as soon as possible”.
A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter with journalists, confirmed that the men had been shot.
Their bodies “were found with bullet injuries”, he told AFP, adding that the “incident is being investigated”. The officer declined to assign responsibility for the killings.
Police have not released further details about the shooting.
In a separate incident on Wednesday, gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire on members of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at a security checkpoint in Kulgam district, wounding three personnel before fleeing, according to police.
The attacks came days after Modi announced that the CRPF had recorded zero casualties over the past year, describing it as the first such achievement in 47 years.
“A ZERO that speaks volumes,” Modi wrote in a post on X.
Muslim-majority Kashmir has remained divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, with both countries claiming the region in full.
Rebel groups have waged a decades-long insurgency seeking independence or the territory’s merger with Pakistan.
India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of arming and training rebels to carry out attacks on Indian forces in Kashmir, allegations Islamabad denies.
