At least four soldiers were killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, marking the latest in a series of recent attacks by armed insurgents in the disputed region.
The confrontation occurred on Monday night as security forces were conducting a search operation in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.
According to reports, militants allegedly hiding in the area opened fire on the troops.
The Indian army confirmed in a statement that its forces came under fire while acting on intelligence inputs.
“Five soldiers were critically injured in the exchange of fire with militants,” the army posted on X. “Four of them succumbed to their injuries later.”
Reinforcements have been dispatched to the area to prevent the attackers from escaping, officials said.
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This incident follows another deadly attack last week in which five soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed in a different part of the region, which remains a point of contention between India and Pakistan.
An armed insurgency against Indian rule has claimed thousands of lives in Kashmir since 1989, although violence had decreased in recent years.
However, the relatively peaceful Jammu region has seen a rise in bloodshed recently, with at least eight attacks reported since June.
Last month, nine people died and 33 were injured when suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the region.
On July 8, five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua district.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for decades.
Delhi accuses Islamabad of harboring militants and disrupting peace in the region, a charge Pakistan denies.
