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| India-Pakistan |
| Eight militants killed in battles in Indian Kashmir |
| 2010-10-02 |
| [Dawn] Indian security forces killed eight bully boyz on Friday in two separate gunbattles in Indian Kashmir, an army front man said, adding some of them were trying to enter the Indian territory from neigbouring Pakistain. Indian army front man Vineet Sood told Rooters a policeman was also killed in one of the shootouts. The clashes occurred amid mounting protests against New Delhi's rule in the disputed Himalayan region, which has been in a siege-like state of strikes, protests and curfew for months. India and Pakistain both claim Kashmir while ruling it in parts. More than 100 people have been killed and scores jugged in protests since June -- among the biggest since an armed separatist rebellion broke out in Kashmir in 1989. Five bully boyz were killed in the north of Kashmir as they tried to cross into the Indian side from Pak territory, while three bully boyz and the policeman were killed in a battle in the Ganderbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar. Sood said reports indicated exchanges of fire were continuing at both places. India's federal government is trying hard to defuse the tension in the region and on Wednesday decided to free jailed protesters and reduce the number of checkpoints in the main city Srinagar as part of a peace move. India has been concerned that the flare-up in Kashmir could affect its international image days ahead of the the Commonwealth Games, which open in New Delhi this weekend. New Delhi has repeatedly accused Pakistain of arming, training and sending bully boyz to its part of Kashmir, a charge Islamabad denies. India's security officials say bully boyz based in Pakistain have stepped up efforts to infiltrate into Indian Kashmir before winter snow blocks the Himalayan mountain passes. "The army has continued to focus on conducting relentless counter infiltration operations on the Line of Control (LoC) as well as elimination of forces of Evil in the hinterland," the Indian army said in a statement. |
| Posted by:Fred |