Four soldiers have been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
The incident took place on Monday night during a search operation by security forces in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.
The gunfight erupted when militants allegedly hiding in the forest opened fire, according to reports.
Kashmir has experienced an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, claiming thousands of lives, though violence has decreased in recent years.
However, the relatively peaceful Jammu region has seen a rise in violence in recent months, with at least eight attacks reported since June.
Last month, nine people were killed and 33 injured when suspected militants fired on a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims in the region. Last week, five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua district.
In the latest incident, security forces launched a massive search operation in various parts of Jammu’s Doda district based on intelligence inputs.
Five soldiers were critically injured in an exchange of fire with militants on Monday night, and four of them later succumbed to their injuries, the army posted on X.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan. Delhi accuses Islamabad of harboring militants and disrupting peace in the region, a charge Pakistan denies.
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