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Indian troops engage rebels in major gunbattle in Kashmir
 SRINAGAR, India - Indian troops were Wednesday in an intense gunbattle with a âlarge groupâ of Islamic terrorists militants near the de facto Kashmir border, the army said, adding two terrorists militants were killed in a separate clash. âThe two sides are engaged in a fierce gunbattle in the glacial heights of Gurez in (northern) Baramulla district,â army spokesman Vijay Batra told AFP.
He said the terrorists militants had crossed the Line of Control (LoC) -- the ceasefire line dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan -- over the past two days. âThey were traced inside our territory late Tuesday and engaged in a gunbattle by alert soldiers,â said Batra, adding there was heavy fighting in the area and adverse weather conditions were making things a âbit difficult.â
Batra said reinforcements were being sent to the site of encounter. He would not say how many terrorists rebels were engaged in the battle but Indian media reports quoting army sources put the number at around 35. Army officials said the infiltration was the biggest attempt by terrorists militants to enter Indian Kashmir from the Pakistani zone since the two countries began a slow-moving peace process 19 months ago.
Two terrorists rebels were meanwhile killed early Wednesday along the LoC as the entered Indian Kashmir in the Tangdar sector of northern Kupwara district, the spokesman said.
Posted by: Steve White 2005-07-14 |
