JAMMU, India (AP) – From clashes of the Indian army packed in sand dug deep into the Pir Panjal mountains in the Himalayas, villages on the Pakistan-controlled side of Kashmir undoubtedly seem close, on the other side of the line of control that for the past 73 years has divided the region between the two competitors with nuclear weapons.
Tens of thousands of soldiers from India and Pakistan are on both sides. The apparent calm is often broken by the surge of burning guns, with each side blaming the other for the shooting.
The terrain is tough and the lives of civilians living in the area are even more difficult, and they are often caught in the line of fire. Over the past year, troops from both sides have traded across the border almost daily, killing dozens of civilians and soldiers.
AP journalists were recently allowed to cover anti-insurgency exercises in the Indian Army in the Poonch and Rajouri districts along the line of control. The training focused on tactical exercises, combat exercises, shooting exercises, counter-insurgency operations and acclimatization of soldiers to the harsh weather conditions.
In winter, when mountain passes in the highlands are blocked by snow, Indian troops move into bunkers and conduct long-range patrols to maintain a strict guard along the border.
At some places in Rajouri, local militia called Village Defense Committee was formed to help the Indian Army keep a close eye on.
The two parties waged two wars over the area. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents fighting for Kashmir’s independence or unification with Pakistan. Pakistan denies the charge, saying it offers only diplomatic and moral support to the rebels.
Relations have been strained since last August, when Hindu India largely revoked the semi-autonomous status of the Muslim majority region and divided Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh into the federal government territories, and anger erupted on both sides of the border. .