Clashes between rebels and security forces have been intensifying as Jammu and Kashmir gear up for local assembly elections. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the region to hold a campaign rally amidst the rising tensions.

Two Indian soldiers were killed, and two others injured during a gunfight with suspected militants in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, just one day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the region.

The firefight took place in the southern Kishtwar district. The strike against the militants was a joint operation between the army and local police, according to a statement from the Indian army.

Modi is scheduled to address an election rally on Saturday in the neighboring Doda district.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian army paid tribute to the "supreme sacrifice of the bravehearts."

Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the opposition Congress Party, also honored the fallen soldiers. In a social media post, he added that "India is united in fighting the scourge of terrorism."

In a related development, local media reports indicated that a suspected militant was killed by security forces in Kashmir's Baramulla region on Saturday.

Tensions between rebels and security forces have escalated in the lead-up to the first local assembly elections in a decade in the restive Himalayan region.

The union territory has been without a local government since India's central government revoked its semi-autonomy in 2019, making it a federally controlled area.

Nearly 8.7 million people are eligible to vote in the September 18 election, which will be conducted in three phases. Results are expected in October.

To ensure the security of the election proceedings, tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed.