Indian officials reported that four members of the Indian security forces, including three officers, along with two militants, were killed in a gunfight in the disputed Kashmir region of the Himalayas. The Muslim-majority region of Kashmir has witnessed an insurgency that began decades ago against New Delhi, with militants clashing with security forces since the 1990s. Both India and Pakistan claim the region in its entirety, although each governs only a part of it.
Officials told Reuters that an Indian army colonel and a major, along with a deputy inspector from the Kashmir police, were killed in the gunfight in the "Anantnag" area, while a soldier and two militants died in a separate incident in the Rajouri region on Wednesday. India alleges that Pakistan supports militants in Kashmir, a claim that Islamabad denies, stating it only provides diplomatic and moral support to the region's population.
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, the commander of the Indian army's northern command, stated on Wednesday that Pakistan is attempting to send foreign militants to Kashmir. He added to reporters, "The grave matter is that Pakistan is trying to make efforts to send foreign terrorists here despite the better (security) internal conditions to create unrest and disturbances."
