5th August is observed as Youm-e-Istehsal in Pakistan to protest India's revoking of Kashmir's special status, while the complex Kashmir conflict remains a bone of contention between India and Pakistan.
Many fraternise and take selfies with soldiers, and are dismissive of the regular firefights between troops and rebels taking place out of sight from popular destinations.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP government in India ripped Kashmir of its status of a special entity by abolishing article 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution. This was one of the most significant developments in the history of Kashmir conflict as it completely altered the dynamics of the issue.
August 5 is being observed as a black day as it marks the completion of 3 years since the people of IO Kashmir were deprived of their fundamental human rights.
"Indian troops killed two militants this morning in a gun battle, one of them, Jan Mohammad Lone, was involved in the killing of a bank manager," said Vijay Kumar
The annual gathering takes place at the Kheer Bhawani temple, a short drive from the city of Srinagar, and is usually a major religious milestone for the local Pandit community.
More than 900,000 Indian troops that remain deployed in the valley for decades have resorted to worst forms of torture, rapes, renditions, forced displacement, and other grave breaches of international criminal law