Kashmir army camp water pipe blown up

Muslim rebels overnight blew up a pipe supplying drinking water to an Indian army camp in the first such strike in violence-hit Indian-administered Kashmir, local media said Thursday.

"The militants blew up the pipe supplying water to Rashtriya Rifles camp at Arampora (in the northern Baramulla district)," Kashmir's leading English daily Greater Kashmir said.

The Rashtriya (National) Rifles is the Indian army's counter-insurgency wing in Kashmir, which is in the grip of a 13-year anti-Indian rebellion that has so far claimed more than 37,500 lives.

"It is the first time they (militants) cut off the water supply to the forces," the newspaper said.

Officials sources told AFP that the water supply was restored in the morning.

Security forces have on several occasions cut power and drinking water supplies to mosques and shrines, where militants have barricaded themselves in to escape arrest.

"That step is always aimed at tiring out the militants and preventing damage to religious structures," a paramilitary official said.

Meanwhile, two civilians were killed in separatist-related incidents in Indian-administered Kashmir, while Indian troops recovered a cache of arms and ammunition including rockets and grenades, officials said Thursday.

Police said a Muslim carpet-weaver was shot and wounded overnight by suspected Muslim militants in the village of Sailya, near the well-known picnic spot of Pahalgam, 100 km southeast of Srinagar, the summer capital.