Indian troops kill 3 militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfights

Three militants were killed in two separate gunfights with Indian troops Tuesday in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

Two militants were killed during a gunfight at village Hadoora of Ganderbal district, about 20 km north of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Two militants affiliated with Lashker-eToiba (LeT) were killed today afternoon in a gunfight with joint parties of police and army in Ganderbal," a senior police official posted in the district told Xinhua. "We have recovered two assault rifles and some ammunition from the spot."

Police officials said the area was cordoned off following specific intelligence inputs regarding presence of militants in the village.

"As the joint contingents were busy searching the area, the militants fired upon them indiscriminately, thereby triggering a gunfight," the official said.

According to police spokesman in Srinagar, the slain militants were foreign cadres of LeT and involved in many attacks on Indian troops and police in the region.

According to the spokesman the duo was planning to carry out attack around India's Republic Day celebrations scheduled on Thursday in Ganderbal and Srinagar.

Last week a top commander of LeT was killed in the adjacent Bandipora district in a similar gunfight.

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