Indian forces kill 5 'militants' in Kashmir
Indian security forces claimed yesterday they had killed five foreign militants during a gunfight in a forested area in the restive region of Kashmir.
Forces acting on an intelligence tip off surprised the men allegedly from the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group in Wanghat forest about 50 kilometres from the main city of Srinagar, local police chief Shahid Mehraj said.
"The militants were killed in a fierce gunfight by the joint party of Indian army and police. Five AK assault rifles and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered from them," he told AFP.
Violence in Kashmir has dropped sharply since India and Pakistan started a peace process in 2004 but occasional gunfights are known to erupt between the rebels and Indian security forces.
India blames Pakistan for backing Islamic militants on its side of the divided region, a charge Islamabad denies.
The Indian home ministry estimates over 40,000 people have been killed since an insurgency against Indian rule broke out in 1990, while human rights groups and separatists put the toll at 70,000-100,000.
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