Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, despite an attack in Srinagar a day earlier that killed eight Indian soldiers.
The prime minister’s office said on Monday the visit would go ahead as scheduled.
The premier will be accompanied by Sonia Gandhi, the president of the ruling Congress party, during the two-day visit.
Singh will inaugurate part of a rail line that connects southern and northern Kashmir, and meet officials to review development projects.
On Monday, militants opened fire on a convoy transporting the soldiers on the outskirts of Srinagar.
The militants were able to pull off the attack despite the fact that a high state of alert was imposed ahead of Singhâ„¢s scheduled visit.
Singh issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, saying, Å“This cowardly attack will not deter the security forces, who are engaged in bringing peace and order to the Kashmir Valley.”
Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.
Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official count, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000.
MN/HN
This article originally appeared on: Press TV