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17-07-2024
NEW DELHI/ SRINAGAR: At least four soldiers have been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, the latest in a recent spate of attacks by armed insurgents in the disputed region.
Security forces came under fire on Monday night when they were carrying out a search operation in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.
Last week five soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed in another part of the region, which is disputed by India and Pakistan.
An armed insurgency against Indian rule has claimed thousands of lives in Kashmir since 1989, but violence has reduced in recent years.
However, the relatively peaceful Jammu region has seen increasing bloodshed in recent months. At least eight attacks have been reported in the region since June.
Last month, nine people died and 33 were injured after suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the region.
On 8 July, five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua district.
Monday night’s gunfight began when militants allegedly hiding in forests opened fire, reports said. The Indian army said in a statement that its forces came under fire while carrying out a search based 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 injuries later.
Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to prevent the attackers from fleeing, officials say.
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 the latter denies.
Last week, five soldiers were killed in an ambush by suspected militants in the Kathua district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, officials say.
The soldiers in military vehicles came under fire from militants hiding in a nearby hill, according to initial reports.
Reinforcements arrived quickly and a search operation was launched to track down the attackers, officials said.
Kashmir has seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, but violence has waned in recent years.
Monday afternoon’s attack in Jammu marks a month of increasing violence in the region.
Last month, nine people died and 33 were injured after suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the area.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he was “deeply anguished” at the lives lost in the latest attack.
“My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, the nation stands firm with them in this difficult time,” Singh wrote on X.
“The counter-terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to usher in peace and order in the region,” he said.
Reports say the militants – their exact number unknown – launched an attack in an area flanked by a hill on one side and a steep slope on the other. They descended from the hillside, targeting primarily one truck.
Five soldiers were also injured in the attack, officials said.
Since June, there have been seven attacks reported in the relatively peaceful Jammu region.
The latest attack marks the second major incident in Kathua district in a month and the second assault on the army in Jammu within two days.
