Indian army kills three militants in Kashmir firefight

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
28 Jul 2025 15:15

The killings reignite tensions between India and Pakistan weeks after a Trump-brokered ceasefire.

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Indian paramilitary soldiers stand guard as the convoy carrying the first batch of pilgrims, en route to the annual Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath shrine, passes through the outskirts of Srinagar, India, Wednesday, July 2, 2025 (AP)

The Indian army announced Monday that three men were killed in a gun battle in Indian-administered Kashmir, with the suspects allegedly linked to the April 22 attack on Hindu tourists that escalated tensions with Pakistan.

According to a statement posted by the Indian army on X, security forces engaged in a fierce firefight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.

Indian television outlets cited unnamed sources claiming the deceased were suspects in the April 22 assault targeting Hindu tourists, an episode that triggered a fresh wave of military escalation between India and Pakistan.

Wider context

Following the 2025 Pahalgam attack, New Delhi took several retaliatory measures, including downgrading diplomatic relations, revoking visas for Pakistani nationals, suspending a key water-sharing agreement, and declaring the shutdown of the primary land border crossing with Pakistan.

Reacting to India's measures, Islamabad escalated tensions by ordering Indian diplomats and military advisors to leave the country, revoking visas for Indian citizens, and imposing a ban on Indian aircraft using Pakistani airspace.

On 20 May, India and Pakistan agreed to withdraw the military reinforcements deployed during their confrontation, with a phased return to pre-conflict positions.

The agreement marks a major step toward India-Pakistan troop withdrawal and comes after a four-day escalation that resulted in over 70 fatalities. Both countries will scale back deployments, particularly along the heavily militarized Line of Control (LoC) in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Fiercest flare-ups in years

The most recent violence was triggered by a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on groups allegedly supported by Islamabad, a claim Pakistan has strongly denied. The episode ignited one of the fiercest flare-ups in years between the nuclear-armed neighbors.