KOCHI — At least four soldiers have been killed in a gunfight with suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir — the latest in a recent spate of attacks by armed insurgents in the disputed region.

Security forces came under fire on Monday night when they were carrying out a search operation in the forests of Doda district in Jammu.

Last week five soldiers were killed when their vehicle was ambushed in another part of the region, which is disputed by India and Pakistan.

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

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

On 8 July, five soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kathua district.

Monday night's gunfight began when militants allegedly hiding in forests opened fire, reports said. The Indian army said in a statement that its forces came under fire while carrying out a search based on intelligence inputs.

Five soldiers were critically injured in the exchange of fire with militants, the army posted on X. Four of them succumbed to injuries later.

Reinforcements have been rushed to the area to prevent the attackers from fleeing, officials say.

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