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Suspected militants kill Indian trooper in Kashmir

Indian army soldiers aim their weapons during an operation against suspected militants in Turkwangam Lassipora in Shopian, south of Srinagar, Kashmir, May 4, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

One Indian trooper has been killed by suspected militants along the Line of Control (LoC), a de facto borderline that divides the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.

According to a statement released by the Indian army, a shootout occurred early on Thursday, when three suspected militants attempted to cross into the Indian-controlled Kashmir from the Pakistani side but faced gunfire from Indian border guards.

The army statement added that an Indian soldier had sustained fatal injuries during the gun battle and the three intruders had been killed.

The incident came just a day after Indian soldiers killed three suspected militants as they similarly attempted to pass through the heavily militarized LoC.

India regularly accuses Pakistan of arming and training militants and pushing them across the restive frontier in an attempt to launch attacks on Indian forces. Pakistan strongly denies the allegations.

India has already deployed some 500,000 soldiers to the disputed region to further boost the security of the borderline and suppress pro-independence demonstrations in its share of Kashmir, where anti-India sentiments are high.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both since the two partitioned and gained independence from Britain in 1947. Militant groups have also for decades been fighting for independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The two countries have fought three wars over the disputed territory. Despite a ceasefire agreement that was reached in November 2003, sporadic skirmishes continue in Kashmir.


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