3 militants, 1 civilian killed in Kashmir gunbattle

By Zahid Rafiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

Three suspected militants were killed in a gunfight with Indian armed forces in southern Jammu and Kashmir on Friday afternoon, according to police and eyewitnesses. 

A 14-year-old student was also killed when Indian forces allegedly opened fire on protestors close to the site of the clash. At least 10 others were also reportedly injured.

At the end of the gunfight, regional police chief Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted: “All three militants eliminated. Good job boys.” 

An eyewitness and a doctor at District Hospital Pulwama identified the slain civilian as Faizan Ahmad, a high school student. 

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Also, in Siachen glacier in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.