A fierce gun battle in India’s Jammu and Kashmir left four police officers and two militants dead, an official confirmed on Friday. The clash erupted as security forces combed a forested area in Kathua, near the Pakistan border, where armed suspects had been spotted last Sunday.

For decades, militants have engaged in conflict with security forces in the region, known for its breathtaking landscapes of lakes, meadows, and snow-capped mountains. While violence has declined in recent years, government records show that 14 security personnel lost their lives in the first half of 2024, compared to 30 in all of 2023.

Kashmir remains a focal point of Indo-Pakistani tensions, with both nations claiming the territory in full while administering parts of it. The dispute has fueled more than 70 years of hostilities and triggered two wars between the neighbors.

During the latest confrontation, authorities recovered the bodies of three policemen, while the fourth officer and two militants were found lifeless in the dense forest, the unnamed official told Reuters. Security forces also seized weapons, including assault rifle magazines, empty shells, two grenades, and a bulletproof vest.

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha acknowledged the ongoing operation in a post on X, stating that "several terrorists" had been "neutralized." He honored the fallen officers, declaring, "I bow to the valorous martyrs of J&K Police, who laid down their lives for our motherland."

The region has faced heightened security measures since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019, restructuring it into two federally controlled territories.