Indian army says killed four militants in gunfight in Kashmir

The Indian army says its troops have killed four suspected militants in an overnight firefight at the borderline of the Indian-administered part of Kashmir.

According to Colonel Rajesh Kalia, an Indian army spokesman, the incident occurred late on Sunday when the gunmen sneaked across the Line of Control (LoC) and on the Indian-held portion of the Himalayan region in Keran sector from the Pakistani-controlled Kashmir but were intercepted by Indian soldiers.

“The four infiltrators were killed in an exchange of fire. Their bodies and four weapons have also been recovered,” Kalia further said on Monday.

The LoC is a heavily fortified borderline between the two arch-rival neighbors, separating the Pakistani-administered Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan in the west and northwest, respectively, from India's province of Jammu and Kashmir in the north. The LoC, which dates back to over four decades ago, is not an internationally recognized demarcation line but serves as the de facto border between the two countries in the region.

Also on Sunday, a local by-election in Kashmir for a vacant seat in India's parliament was marred by protests and violence, which claimed the lives of eight civilians and wounded almost 100 others, many of whom from bullets fired by Indian police and paramilitary forces.

According to officials, around 100 police officers and paramilitary soldiers also sustained injuries in the clashes.

In response, separatist leaders, who opposed India's military presence in the region, called for a two-day strike, prompting people to close shops and schools on Monday. Public transport was also suspended in a sign of solidarity with separatist leaders.  

SS