Indian security forces kill 3 Kashmiri militants

By Zahid Rafiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu Kashmir (AA) - Three Kashmiri militants in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed region were killed by Indian security forces overnight, police said Monday.

A gunfight broke out in Pahalgam district -- a popular tourist destination on the River Liddar -- on Sunday night, police spokesman Manoj Sheeri told Anadolu Agency.

“The three bodies of militants were retrieved at morning and they were all local Kashmiris,” he added. “We have returned their bodies to the families.”

Resident Mohammad Irshad Mir said locals had attempted to reach the site of the gun battle in a bid to help the militants escape, adding that the killings had sparked fresh tension in the area.

Anti-India feelings have been running especially high in Jammu Kashmir since the killing of a popular militant commander in July last year. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets for pro-independence protests and more than 100 have been killed by security forces.

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is divided between India and Pakistan. Militants have been fighting Indian rule since 1989 and more than 70,000 have been reportedly killed.