SRINAGAR, July 29 – Indian security forces killed three suspected militants in a gunfight in the Dachigam forest area, roughly 30 kilometers from Srinagar, officials confirmed Monday. This marks the second major encounter in Indian-administered Kashmir since the April Pahalgam massacre that left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead.
In a brief statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Indian Army described the encounter as an “intense firefight” that led to the killing of three militants. Police Inspector-General Vidhi Kumar Birdi said the joint operation, involving the Army, paramilitary forces, and Jammu & Kashmir Police, was still in progress. No further details have been released.
While officials have not disclosed the identities or affiliations of the slain militants, Monday’s encounter underscores the region’s fragile security landscape, particularly following the cross-border missile exchanges between India and Pakistan in May. The April 22 massacre in Pahalgam, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives, had pushed the two nuclear-armed nations to the brink of war before a US-mediated ceasefire was reached on May 10.
For decades, Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, with both nations claiming the territory in full. Since 1989, armed insurgents in Indian-controlled Kashmir have fought to separate the region—either to join Pakistan or to establish an independent state. India accuses Pakistan of backing the militants, a charge Islamabad denies.
Since August 2019, when the Indian government revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy under Article 370, the region has witnessed increased militarization, sweeping crackdowns, and reduced civil liberties. The latest firefight in Dachigam reflects a continuing shift of militant activity from the Kashmir Valley to surrounding mountainous belts.
Tens of thousands of civilians, militants, and security personnel have died in the conflict over the past three decades.