In a stark illustration of the decades-long conflict in Kashmir, a family has endured the loss of two sons: one killed by rebels in 1998, and another by the army in 2024. The killings, separated by 26 years, highlight the enduring cycle of violence in the region, leaving the family with unanswered questions and unresolved grief.
"We have lost two sons, one to the militants and one to the army," said the grieving mother, her voice breaking. "We are left with nothing but pain."
The first son, a young man in his early twenties, was shot by militants in 1998 during the peak of the insurgency. The family says he was caught in crossfire while returning from work. Just recently, their second son, aged 48, was killed in a counter-insurgency operation by the Indian army. The army claims he was a militant, but the family insists he was a civilian.
The family has repeatedly sought answers from both the authorities and the militants, but to no avail. The double tragedy underscores the relentless suffering of ordinary people caught between two sides in a conflict that has spanned generations.
Local rights groups have called for an independent investigation into both killings. "This family's story is a microcosm of the larger tragedy in Kashmir," said a human rights activist. "We need accountability and an end to the violence."