Three ‘Infiltrators’ Killed in Kashmir Near India-Pakistan Border

Three suspected militants were killed in disputed Kashmir Thursday near the unofficial border between India and Pakistan, Indian police said, in the fourth such incident along the frontier in five days.

The “infiltrators” were killed near an army post after crossing the highly militarised Line of Control (LoC) in northern Uri sector, police said on Twitter without giving further details.

Kashmir’s volatile frontier has been calm since February last year after nuclear-armed archrivals India and Pakistan agreed to abide by a 2003 ceasefire, bringing regular cross-border shelling to an end.

The latest incident came four days after Indian soldiers fired on and captured a suspected militant who crossed over from Pakistan-controlled Kashmir in southern Rajouri sector, army spokesman Colonel Devendar Anand told AFP.

He said the injured infiltrator was being treated at an army facility after soldiers donated blood to help save his life.

On Monday, two suspected militants were killed in a minefield after crossing over the border in southern Akhnoor, while a third person managed to flee back to safety.

Another group of “three to four” men fled back the same day after trying to cross over in the same area when soldiers confronted them, Colonel Anand said.

There was no independent confirmation of any of the incidents.

Rebel groups have fought Indian soldiers for over three decades, demanding independence for Kashmir or its merger with Pakistan.

India regularly blames Pakistan for backing the rebels, an allegation Islamabad denies.

Two militants stormed an army camp in Rajouri earlier this month and killed three Indian troops before being shot dead. Two other soldiers later died of their injuries.