Four Indian soldiers were killed in a 'gunfight' between security forces and terrorists in Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir.
The gun battle took place in Poonch district at 3:45 pm on Thursday (December 21). This information was reported in the online report of the country's media NDTV, quoting officials of the Indian Defense Force.
Terrorists opened fire on two army vehicles in South Poonch district on Thursday afternoon, the Indian military said. The area is close to the Line of Military Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
An Indian army spokesman, Lt. Col. Sunil Bartwal, said four soldiers were killed and three others were injured in the surprise gun attack by the terrorists. He also said that extensive search operation is going on in the area.
Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan each control parts of Kashmir. However, both countries claim the region as their own.
Militants in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Most Muslims support the rebels of keeping Kashmir under Pakistani rule or unifying the region as an independent state.
India asserts that militancy in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Pakistan denies the allegations, and most Kashmiris consider it a legitimate struggle for independence.