Five Indian soldiers have been killed in a shoot-out with militants in the India-controlled portion of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the Indian military reported on October 11.
An army spokesman said the five troops were conducting a search operation in a forested part of the southern Surankote area following a report that militants fighting against Indian rule were in the area. They came under heavy fire and were evacuated by helicopter before being declared dead, the spokesman said.
Indian and Pakistan both claim the Kashmir region. Tens of thousands of civilians, militants, and government forces have been killed in fighting in the Muslim-majority region since 1989.
The latest violence comes amid a sweeping crackdown by Indian forces following several targeted killing in the city of Srinagar in the last week.