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Indian military trooper killed, 2 wounded in gunfight with militants on Kashmir LoC

Xinhua, August 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

An Indian military trooper was killed and two others wounded Sunday in a gunfight with militants near Line of Control (LoC) dividing Kashmir, officials said,

The gunfight broke out Saturday in Tangdar sector of frontier Kupwara district, about 160 km northwest of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Indian officials said a group of five heavily armed militants were trying to infiltrate into Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Our troopers yesterday noticed a suspicious movement in Tangdar, following which they were challenged, which resulted in a fierce gunfight," a military official said. "While fighting these infiltrators, one trooper was killed and two others wounded."

However, there was no information about causalities of the militants.

India's official broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) said a huntdown operation continued in the mountainous terrain and additional troops have been requisitioned to strengthen the cordon.

LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.

A guerrilla war has been going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. The gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region.

New Delhi blames Islamabad for infiltrating militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir. However, Islamabad denies the charge saying it only provides moral and political support to Kashmiris. Endi