Six Killed In Clash Near Indian Kashmir Border

Three Indian soldiers and three separatist militants were killed on Tuesday in a gunbattle near the Pakistan border in Indian Kashmir.

Three Indian soldiers and three separatist militants were killed on Tuesday in a fierce gunbattle near the Pakistan border in Indian Kashmir, an army spokesman said.

Violence has flared up in Kashmir in recent weeks with the melting of winter snows, which allows easier movement of militants within the Himalayan region and also lets them trek through the mountain passes from the Pakistani side.

"Acting on a tip-off about the presence of militants, the army raided a forest in Lolab this morning which resulted in a fierce encounter," said army spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel A. K. Mathur, adding that three soldiers were also wounded.

Lolab lies in north Kashmir near the Line of Control, or ceasefire line, which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

India and Pakistan, which launched a peace process in 2004, claim Kashmir in full but rule it in parts. New Delhi says Islamabad has not done enough to curb separatist militants operating from its soil, a charge Islamabad rejects.

Officials say more than 42,000 people have been killed in Kashmir since a revolt against India's rule erupted in 1989. But human rights groups put the toll at about 60,000 dead or missing.