SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Indian army Thursday said it killed seven militants in separate gunfights in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir.
While it said three militants were gunned down attempting to storm an army camp at Langate-Handwara in frontier Kupwara district, about 75 Km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, four others were killed near Line of Control (LoC), a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts.
"Today at around 5:00 a.m. (local time) three militants tried to storm an army camp at Langate in Handwara. However, our alert personnel deployed there immediately retaliated to repulse their attempt and gunned them just outside the camp," Indian military spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua. "During another counter insurgency operation, our troopers successfully foiled three infiltration attempts in Nowgam and Rampura sector, killing four infiltrators."
The identity of slain militants according to officials was being ascertained. However, preliminary reports suggest they seem to be foreigners.
Kalia said Indian army personnel have not suffered any damage in the stand-off and search operation was underway.
No independent confirmation could be made about the incidents owing to their occurrence in remote areas.
The gunfights have come amid heightened tensions between troops of India and Pakistan along LoC. The LoC confrontation has forced thousands of villagers close to LoC on Indian side to migrate to safer places.
On Monday, a border guard belonging to India's Border Security Force (BSF) was killed and another wounded in a similar attack on army camp in neighbouring Baramulla town. However, militants escaped following the attack.
Militant groups are engaged in a guerrilla war with Indian troops in the region since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently.
Last month, four militants entered an army base in frontier Uri, killing 19 troopers and wounding over 20 others. The four attackers were also killed.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated because of the ongoing civilian protests in Indian-controlled Kashmir that saw around 90 civilians dead and over 12,000 others injured. However the situation worsened between New Delhi and Islamabad following Uri attack and subsequent claims of Indian military that it carried out "surgical strikes" inside Pakistan-controlled Kashmir inflicting significant casualties on infiltrators and their supporters.
Pakistan, however, rejected Indian claims about "surgical strikes".
Since then, the situation on Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir has worsened with troops from both countries indulging in ceasefire violations and targeting each others' positions.
New Delhi blames Islamabad for fanning Kashmir protests and accuses it of sending armed militants into Indian-controlled Kashmir, an accusation Islamabad strongly rejects.
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.
