Five Indian soldiers killed in militant attack in Jammu and Kashmir

Five Indian soldiers were killed and another was injured in a militant attack in the Jammu and Kashmir region, the Indian Army said on Thursday.

A statement by the Indian Army’s Northern Command said an army vehicle moving between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector of the Jammu region came under fire at around 3 p.m. local time (0930GMT) on Thursday “by unidentified terrorists, taking advantage of heavy rains and low visibility in the area.”

The vehicle caught fire “due to likely use of grenades by terrorists,” according to the statement.

Five personnel of the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for “counter-terrorist operations” in this area “unfortunately lost their lives in the incident,” it said.

“Another seriously injured soldier was evacuated immediately to the Army Hospital at Rajouri and is under treatment,” the statement added.

It also said operations are underway to locate the “perpetrators” and further details are being ascertained.

Earlier, the Indian Army said five soldiers were killed after their vehicle “caught fire.”

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter that he is “anguished by the tragedy.”

“In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the bereaved families,” he said.

Disputed region

Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of the region is also controlled by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars – in 1948, 1965 and 1971 – two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights groups, thousands of people have been killed and tortured in the conflict since 1989.

-Agencies