Ashok Sharma's town is gripped in fear. He is a local contractor who lives in Hiranagar, a town in the Jammu region of India-administered Kashmir.

Recent militant attacks in the area have created a sense of paranoia among the locals. Many residents are now too afraid to leave their homes at night.

"For the past few weeks, we have witnessed numerous attacks, each leaving behind a trail of death and terror," he told DW. "I fear that one day, these militants will force us to leave this place."

At least four Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a gunfight with suspected rebels in the forests of the Doda district in the Jammu Division, the army said on Tuesday. The attack comes a day after the Indian army said it killed three suspected militants as they tried to cross from the Pakistan-controlled side of the highly militarized dividing line.

On July 8, five Indian army soldiers were killedand five others were injured in an ambush by militants on an army convoy in Kathua district. Last month, at least nine people were killed and 33 injured when a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims plunged into a deep gorge after a militant attack in Reasi district.

According to official figures, 29 terrorist-related violent incidents have taken place in the Jammu region since 2021, with an increase in civilian casualties. The total number of deaths was 12 in 2023 compared to 17 in the first six months of 2024 in Jammu alone.

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