Indian soldier, three fighters killed in Kashmir gunbattles

Three suspected rebels and a soldier were killed in separate firefights near Indian-administered Kashmir's unofficial frontier with Pakistan, the Indian army said on Saturday. Kashmir has been divided between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the territory in full.Senior Indian army official Brigadier JBS Rathi said troops had displayed "great tactical acumen".

India has an estimated 500,000 soldiers permanently deployed in the territory. Fighting has decreased since 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government imposed direct control of the territory from New Delhi after cancelling its partial autonomy. Thousands of additional troops, including special forces, were deployed across southern mountainous areas last year following a series of deadly rebel attacks that killed more than 50 soldiers over three years. Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only supports Kashmir's struggle for self-determination.