A prolonged gunfight in Indian-administered Kashmir has resulted in the deaths of four police officers and two suspected rebels, with several other officers sustaining injuries, security officials confirmed.
According to the AFP, the firefight erupted on Thursday in the dense forests of Kathua, located in the southern part of the disputed region, when a police patrol searching for militants came under attack. Kashmir’s police chief, Nalin Prabhat, told reporters late Friday that the ambush led to the loss of four police personnel.
“The operation was challenging due to the terrain, but our forces responded with determination,” Prabhat said.
The Indian Army’s Rising Star Corps stated on social media that “relentless operations” had resulted in the “elimination of two terrorists.” Indian authorities frequently use the term “terrorists” for armed groups opposing New Delhi’s rule in Kashmir.
Prabhat alleged that the slain militants had crossed over from Pakistan and had evaded a security cordon earlier in the week. However, he did not provide further details on their identities.
“We will not rest until we put an end to such cross-border activities,” he asserted, referring to Pakistan.
India has long accused its neighbor of supporting insurgents and facilitating their infiltration into Kashmir to carry out attacks on Indian forces. Pakistan, however, denies these claims, insisting that it only offers diplomatic and moral support to Kashmir’s movement for self-determination.
The region, claimed in full by both India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, has seen decades of conflict.
Although violence declined after 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked the region’s partial autonomy and placed it under direct federal control, sporadic attacks have continued.
Last year, security forces intensified operations in Kashmir’s southern mountains following a series of deadly rebel attacks that left over 50 soldiers dead in three years. Thousands of additional troops, including special forces, were deployed in response.
