Family mourns ‘double tragedy’ as decades of conflict in Indian-administered Kashmir continue to claim lives from both sides of the violence.
A Kashmiri family has suffered a devastating loss spanning more than a quarter of a century, with two brothers killed in separate incidents-one by armed rebels and the other by Indian security forces-highlighting the enduring human cost of the conflict in the disputed Himalayan region.
In a modest home in Indian-administered Kashmir, relatives gathered to remember the brothers, their grief compounded by the long shadow of violence that has defined life in the region since the late 1980s. The family shared photographs and documents, including a government college identity card belonging to one of the deceased.
Decades of Pain in One Family:
According to family members, the elder brother was killed by militants in the late 1990s during the peak of the armed insurgency. The younger brother, they say, was killed earlier this year in an encounter with Indian security forces.
“Both my sons are gone-one taken by the rebels, one by the army,” a family member told local journalists, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of reprisals. “We are caught between both sides. We just wanted to live in peace.”
The case has drawn attention to the complex and often contradictory narratives that emerge from Kashmir, where civilians frequently find themselves trapped between armed militant groups fighting for independence or merger with Pakistan, and Indian forces tasked with counter-insurgency operations.
Persistent Violence in Kashmir:
Kashmir remains one of the world’s most militarised regions, divided between India, Pakistan, and China, with both nuclear-armed neighbours claiming the territory in full. Since 1989, the conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives, according to various estimates, though exact figures are disputed.
Militant attacks on security forces and civilians continue, albeit at lower intensity than in previous decades, while Indian authorities report successful counter-terrorism operations. Human rights groups, however, regularly accuse Indian forces of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and excessive force-allegations New Delhi strongly denies.
Pakistani officials and Kashmiri separatist leaders describe the violence as part of a broader struggle against Indian “occupation,” while the Indian government maintains that the unrest is fuelled by cross-border terrorism supported by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad rejects.
Kashmir Conflict and Calls for Justice:
Local rights groups and activists are calling for an independent probe into both killings, saying justice is essential for the affected family.
A Srinagar-based human rights defender said that every death in Kashmir is a tragedy, stressing that whether caused by militants or state forces, such incidents deepen long-standing grief and mistrust.
The Indian government has not responded specifically to the case but maintains that its security operations are lawful and directed only against militants.
With ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan and continued unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, the case highlights the heavy human cost of the conflict, where civilian families often suffer the most.