Indian soldier killed in IIOJK battle

An Indian soldier was killed on Thursday during heavy clashes with freedom fighters in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the army said, reporting that a "fierce gunfight" was ongoing.

The soldier had "sustained grievous injuries in the exchange of fire" and had died "despite best medical efforts", the Indian army's White Knight Corps said.

The army said earlier on Thursday it was carrying out operations with police to "neutralize the terrorists" and that reinforcements had been called in. The clashes in Kishtwar, around 125 kilometres southeast of Srinagar, come a month after the deadly April 22 attack on Indian tourists in Kashmir, which sent relations between India and Pakistan spiralling towards a war.