3 militants, Indian soldier killed in Kashmir gunfight

By Zahid Rafiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) - An armed clash between militants and Indian army left four people killed in southern Jammu and Kashmir early Thursday morning, police said.

In a statement, the local police said three militants, an Indian army soldier, and a civilian were killed in a gunfight in Pulwama, Indian-administered Kashmir, when Indian forces -- a joint group of army, paramilitary and police -- launched a cordon and search operation in the Dalipora village.

“Three terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” said the police statement.

Police identified two of the slain militants as Naseer Pandith and Umar Mir, both were Kashmiri locals, and named the third militant Khalid, a Pakistani citizen.

The three militants were linked to the Jaish-e-Muhammad militant outfit, according to the police that also confirmed the death of one Indian army soldier.

Meanwhile, the gunfight also claimed a civilian life, according to hospital authorities.

Rayees Ahmad Dar, who was reportedly the son of the owner of the house where the militants were hiding, was also killed in the clash, Abdul Rashid Para, medical superintendent of the Pulwama district hospital confirmed.

Dar’s brother was also wounded.

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.