Indian troops kill 2 militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight

Indian troops killed two militants in a gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Thursday, officials said.

The gunfight broke out at Malwari-Newa village of Pulwama district, around 25 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Today two militants were killed in a firefight at Malwari- Newa village of Pulwama," Col. N N Joshi, Indian military spokesman in Srinagar, told Xinhua.

"The gunfight was triggered after joint contingents of Indian army and police cordoned off the village following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the area."

Indian army or police have not suffered any damage in the standoff, Joshi said.

While the gunfight was going on, clashes broke out in the village. Local youth threw stones and brickbats towardsthe government forces, who retaliated by firing tear gas shells and warning shots.

Residents have identified the slain duo as local cadres of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

Police officials said the two were inside a house but tried to give them slip when the area was being cordoned off for searches.

"They tried to break the cordon and escape but were gunned down in a village alley," a police official said.

Last week militants killed eight paramilitary troopers of India's Central Reserve Police (CRPF) and wounded 21 others in a deadly attack on their bus in district's Pampore town. Two militants involved in the attack were also killed.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep in the psyche of majority of Kashmiris.

On Tuesday, violent protests broke out in region's Sopore area and protesters set ablaze a police vehicle to protest the killing of a local militant commander. The commander's funeral procession attracted huge crowds.

A separatist movement and guerrilla war challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the militants and Indian troops 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