6 militants, 1 civilian killed in Kashmir’s south

By Zahid Rafiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

Six militants and an Indian army soldier were killed in Kashmir’s south after the troops attacked a militant hideout on Sunday, police said.

“Based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Batagund area of Kapran in Shopian district, a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by police and security forces in the intervening night,” Manoj Pandita, police spokesman, said in a statement.

“In the ensuing gun-battle, six militants were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of gun-battle,” the statement said.

The statement also confirmed the death of an army soldier.

According to reports, hundreds of villagers took to the streets and clashed with the Indian forces in hope to save the trapped militants.

One civilian was killed and four others injured in firing by the Indian forces, local media reported.

“Few individuals sustained injuries at the encounter site and have been evacuated to hospital for medical attention,” police spokesperson said.

The Indian government has stopped Internet access in Shopian and Kulgam districts.

Jammu and 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.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.