2 militants killed, 2 paramilitary troopers wounded in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight

Two militants were killed, while two paramilitary troopers of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two civilians were wounded Tuesday in a gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The gunfight triggered at Pampore town, about 24 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This evening a party of CRPF and police intercepted a load carrier in Pampore but the men inside the vehicle hurled a grenade and opened bursts of fire on the joint party, wounding two CRPF men," Nalin Prabhat, a senior CRPF official told Xinhua. "The fire was retaliated and both the militants were killed instantly."

According to Prabhat, they had prior intelligence inputs about the movement of militants on way to Srinagar.

"Their destination wasn't Pampore but Srinagar city," he said. "They were possibly trying to plan a suicide attack."

Hospital authorities at Pampore said two civilians, including a woman, wounded in the attack were brought to hospital for treatment.

Police officials said they were trying to ascertain the identity of slain militants.

The gunfight came a day after militants attacked a CRPF convoy with gunfire on highway at Bijbehara town wounding seven CRPF personnel.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the two sides take place intermittently across the region.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit