Five soldiers were killed in an ambush by suspected militants in the Kathua district of Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, officials report. Initial accounts state that the soldiers, traveling in military vehicles, were attacked by militants hiding in a nearby hill. Reinforcements quickly arrived, launching a search operation to locate the assailants.

Kashmir has experienced an armed insurgency against Indian rule since 1989, though violence has decreased in recent years. However, the attack on Monday afternoon marks a month of escalating violence in the region. Last month, a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims was attacked, resulting in nine deaths and 33 injuries.

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his sorrow over the latest attack, offering condolences to the bereaved families and affirming the nation’s support. He stated on X (formerly Twitter) that counter-terrorist operations are ongoing, with soldiers determined to restore peace and order.

Reports indicate that the militants, whose numbers are unknown, attacked in an area bordered by a hill and a steep slope, primarily targeting one truck. This incident is the seventh attack in the relatively peaceful Jammu region since June, and the second major attack in Kathua district within a month. On June 11, a soldier and two suspected militants were killed in Kathua, and another soldier was injured in an attack on an army camp in Rajouri district on Sunday.

Kashmir has been a contentious region between India and Pakistan for decades, with both nuclear-armed neighbors claiming the territory in full but controlling parts. Since 1989, the insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir has claimed thousands of lives. Delhi accuses Islamabad of supporting militants to disrupt peace, a claim Pakistan denies.