diff --git a/app/Controllers/ClaimController.php b/app/Controllers/ClaimController.php
index d80baac..6335164 100644
--- a/app/Controllers/ClaimController.php
+++ b/app/Controllers/ClaimController.php
@@ -327,7 +327,20 @@ class ClaimController extends ResourceController
                 return $this->respond(['status' => 'failed', 'code' => 422, 'data' => $this->ClaimModel->errors()], 422);
             }
 
-            $fileResult = $this->saveClaimFiles((int) $claimId, $reqData['updated_by'] ?? $reqData['created_by'] ?? null);
+            $updatedBy = $reqData['updated_by'] ?? $reqData['created_by'] ?? null;
+
+            // Soft-delete active files whose ids are not sent in claim_file_ids.
+            // When claim_file_ids is present (even empty), missing ids are soft-deleted.
+            $deletedFileIds = [];
+            if (array_key_exists('claim_file_ids', $reqData)) {
+                $deletedFileIds = $this->softDeleteMissingClaimFiles(
+                    (int) $claimId,
+                    $reqData['claim_file_ids'],
+                    $updatedBy
+                );
+            }
+
+            $fileResult = $this->saveClaimFiles((int) $claimId, $updatedBy);
 
             if ($fileResult['attempted'] > 0 && empty($fileResult['saved'])) {
                 return $this->respond([
@@ -341,9 +354,10 @@ class ClaimController extends ResourceController
                 'status' => 'success',
                 'code'   => 200,
                 'data'   => [
-                    'claim_id'       => (int) $claimId,
-                    'uploaded_files' => $fileResult['saved'],
-                    'files'          => $this->decorateFilesWithUrls($this->getClaimFiles((int) $claimId)),
+                    'claim_id'         => (int) $claimId,
+                    'uploaded_files'   => $fileResult['saved'],
+                    'deleted_file_ids' => $deletedFileIds,
+                    'files'            => $this->decorateFilesWithUrls($this->getClaimFiles((int) $claimId)),
                 ],
             ], 200);
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
@@ -535,6 +549,58 @@ class ClaimController extends ResourceController
             ->findAll();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Soft-delete active claim files whose ids are not in the keep list.
+     * Accepts array, comma-separated string, or single id.
+     *
+     * @return int[] Soft-deleted file ids
+     */
+    private function softDeleteMissingClaimFiles(int $claimId, $keepFileIds, $updatedBy = null): array
+    {
+        $keepIds = [];
+
+        if (is_string($keepFileIds)) {
+            $keepFileIds = array_filter(array_map('trim', explode(',', $keepFileIds)), 'strlen');
+        }
+
+        if (!is_array($keepFileIds)) {
+            $keepFileIds = [$keepFileIds];
+        }
+
+        foreach ($keepFileIds as $id) {
+            if ($id !== null && $id !== '' && is_numeric($id)) {
+                $keepIds[] = (int) $id;
+            }
+        }
+        $keepIds = array_values(array_unique($keepIds));
+
+        $query = $this->ClaimFilesModel
+            ->where('claim_id', $claimId)
+            ->where('is_active', 1);
+
+        if (!empty($keepIds)) {
+            $query->whereNotIn('id', $keepIds);
+        }
+
+        $filesToDelete = $query->findAll();
+
+        if (empty($filesToDelete)) {
+            return [];
+        }
+
+        $deletedIds = array_map('intval', array_column($filesToDelete, 'id'));
+
+        $this->ClaimFilesModel
+            ->whereIn('id', $deletedIds)
+            ->set([
+                'is_active'  => 0,
+                'updated_by' => $updatedBy,
+            ])
+            ->update();
+
+        return $deletedIds;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Add preview_url and download_url to each claim file row.
      */