Roundup: Death toll in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight rises to 10

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, March 22 (Xinhua) -- The fierce gunfight in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir ended Thursday with death toll having risen to 10, officials said.

The two-day gunfight that began Tuesday claimed lives of five militants, three troopers and two policemen.

The gunfight between militants and joint contingents of police and army broke out Tuesday afternoon inside Halmatpora forest area of frontier Kupwara district, about 110 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"In the gunfight five militants were killed," a senior police official said. "While fighting these militants three troopers and two policemen were also killed."

According to Indian army spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia, the wreath laying ceremony of slain troopers was held Thursday at Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.

A similar ceremony to pay tributes to slain policemen was held at district police lines in Srinagar.

A senior police official S P Pani told reporters the militants killed in the gunfight were foreigners.

"It was a very difficult operation in view of thick vegetation and open area," Pani said. "On the basis of material recovered from the site of the gunfight, it looks the slain militants were associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit."

Militant groups are engaged in a guerilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. The militants often carry out attacks on police and army in the region.

Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently. Enditem