SRINAGAR: Two border guards and a
suspected rebel were killed on Monday in a gun battle in India-held
Kashmir, the Indian army said.
The shootout took place
near the de facto border with Pakistan, although it was not immediately
clear whether the dead fighter had crossed into India from there.
“Two
Border Security Force soldiers were martyred and a terrorist was killed
in the gun battle,” army spokesman N.N. Joshi told AFP.
Several
rebel groups have for decades been fighting an estimated 500,000 Indian
soldiers deployed in the restive territory, demanding either
independence for the region or its merger with Pakistan.
Tens
of thousands have died in the fighting since 1989 when the armed
rebellion against Indian rule over the Himalayan territory began.
Large
parts of the restive territory including Srinagar have been under a
strict curfew for the past month following widespread anti-India
protests, sparked by the killing of a popular young rebel leader in a
gunfight with government forces.
At least 55 civilians
and two police have been killed in the latest unrest, the worst since
2010, and nearly 5,000 protesters and bystanders have been injured.
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