Four Indian soldiers have been killed in an ambush by militants in the Indian-administered Kashmir region, officials say.
Lieutenant Colonel Ankur Vashist, an army spokesman, said the soldiers were searching for militants in the village of Hardu Buchoo, located 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of the city of Srinagar, on Friday when they came under attack.
“The militants fired at the soldiers from outside the village, when the cordon was laid. Four of our soldiers were killed,” Vashist said.
Militants later fled into a nearby forest. Extra security forces were sent to the area to track down the gunmen.
Police officer Abdul Gani Mir said one militant was killed in the fighting. He added that security forces are ascertaining his identity.
The ambush came a day after Indian forces killed a top militant from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group.
Kashmir lies at the heart of more than 60 years of hostility between India and Pakistan. Both countries claim the region in full but each only has control over a section of the territory.
Over the past two decades, the conflict in Kashmir has left over 47,000 people dead by the official count, although other sources say the death toll could be as high as 90,000.
