Suspected rebels killed five soldiers in disputed Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday when they opened fire and threw explosives at an army truck, a military statement said.
The vehicle caught fire “due to likely use of grenades” thrown by the unidentified attackers in the southern Rajouri sector, close to the unofficial border dividing Kashmir and Pakistan, it said.
“Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles Unit deployed for Counter Terrorist operations in this area have unfortunately lost their lives in the incident,” the army’s northern command said in the statement.
Another soldier was seriously wounded and was taken to a military hospital for treatment, it said.
Videos from the scene showed an army vehicle engulfed in flames on a highway in the mountainous area.
Security forces were searching the highly militarized area, which is also claimed by Pakistan, for the attackers.
Anger against Indian rule in Kashmir has simmered since 2019, when New Delhi canceled the region’s partial autonomy.
Since 1989, rebel groups have fought some 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the Indian-controlled territory, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers, and rebels have been killed so far.