FALCON POWERS – The Indian Defense Minister said on Tuesday that an attack by militants on an Indian Army convoy in the Himalayan region of Jammu and Kashmir resulted in the death of at least five soldiers, the latest in a series of attacks that have shaken the region. Violence by militants has plagued the Kashmir valley and surrounding areas since an armed rebellion began in 1989, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives, though the conflict has waned in recent years.
Media reports said that militants opened fire on the military convoy in the Kasha area on Monday after attacking it with a grenade, while the soldiers’ retaliatory fire led the militants to flee into a nearby forest. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on the X platform that “counter-terrorism operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to restore peace and order in the region,” and offered condolences to the families of the killed soldiers.
Both India and Pakistan claim sovereignty over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they have shared control of.
