Indian security forces announced they killed three suspected armed rebels on Monday during a clash in the Dachigam wildlife reserve, approximately 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Srinagar.
The Indian army stated on social media that “three terrorists have been neutralised in an intense firefight,” adding that the “operation continues,” which typically signifies ongoing search efforts in the forested area. AFP has not independently verified the incident.
The clash occurred near the significant Hindu shrine of Amarnath, a site currently visited by over 350,000 pilgrims from across India.
While the army did not immediately identify those killed, a police officer, speaking anonymously, described them as “foreigners.”
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, has been divided between India and Pakistan since 1947, with both nuclear-armed nations claiming the territory in its entirety and having fought multiple conflicts over it.
Rebel groups have been engaged in an insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, seeking either Kashmir’s independence or its merger with Pakistan.
This incident follows an attack more than three months prior in Pahalgam, a popular resort town in the region, where gunmen killed 26 people, mostly Hindus.
Baijayant Panda, a ruling Bharatiya Janata Party lawmaker, suggested in parliament that “at least one of those eliminated today was involved in the Pahalgam attack.”
Security forces have been searching for the Pahalgam attackers, who remain at large. India had accused Pakistan of backing the attackers, a claim Islamabad denied, leading to a four-day conflict in May that resulted in over 70 deaths on both sides.
India has not publicly presented evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the April 22 attack.
Although clashes between rebels and government forces have significantly decreased over the past five years, many local militants have been killed since the Pahalgam incident.
