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Jeddah - Yasmine El Tohamy - NEW DELHI: A militant attack on an Indian Army convoy in the Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir killed at least five soldiers, India’s defense minister said on Tuesday, the latest in a spate of strikes that has roiled the region.

Militant violence has marred the Kashmir Valley and nearby areas since the start of an insurgency in 1989 that killed tens of thousands, although strife has waned in recent years.

Gunmen fired at the convoy in Kathua district on Monday after attacking it with a grenade, media said, while return fire from the soldiers sent the gunmen fleeing into a nearby forest.

“Counter-terrorist operations are underway, and our soldiers are determined to usher in peace and order in the region,” Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said in a post on X, offering condolences to the bereaved families.

India and Pakistan both claim the Himalayan region of Kashmir but rule it in part, with India’s territory comprising the Hindu-dominated Jammu region and the Muslim-dominated Kashmir valley.

In June, militant attacks in the Jammu area killed 12 people and injured dozens. The fight against militancy in the region is in its decisive phase, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah told a security review meeting last month.