Indian army kills 5 militants in Kashmir, foils infiltration

0 Comments | Asian Political News, July 22, 2002

NEW DELHI, July 19 Kyodo

Five suspected Islamic militants were shot dead Thursday night while trying to enter Indian Kashmir, the Indian army said Friday.

The militants tried to enter the Kupwara district of India's northernmost state of Jammu and Kashmir under the cover of darkness but were spotted by a defense patrol, according to an army official.

All five were killed during an exchange of fire with the defense patrol that lasted several hours, the official said.

Though there has been a drop in the infiltration of militants from Pakistan, bids to sneak into Indian territory continue despite promises from Islamabad to put an end to cross-border terrorism and infiltration.

India and Pakistan have massed about a million troops along their border and along the Line of Control dividing Kashmir since a terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in December last year that New Delhi blames on Pakistan-based militants.

Tensions escalated further in May after Islamic militants attacked a bus and stormed a nearby army camp in Jammu and Kashmir, killing over 30 people, mostly wives and children of soldiers.

Though tensions have eased in recent weeks there has been no deescalation of forces from either side.

Since gaining their independence from British rule in 1947, the two countries have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir.