Four Indian soldiers killed in gunfight in Kashmir

Four soldiers have been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

The incident occurred on Monday night when security forces were carrying out a search operation in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.

The gunfight began when militants allegedly hiding in the forests opened fire, reports said.

Kashmir has seen an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989 which has claimed thousands of lives, but violence has reduced in recent years.

However, the relatively peaceful Jammu region has seen increasing violence 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.

Last week, five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua district.

In the latest incident, security forces said they had 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, the army posted on X - four of them succumbed to injuries later.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for decades. Delhi accuses Islamabad of harbouring militants and disrupting peace in the region, a charge Pakistan denies.