Agence France Presse

Srinagar, July 11:

Eight Islamic militants and an Indian army soldier were killed in fresh clashes in Kashmir, army and police officials said today. Indian troops pursuing Kashmiri rebels shot dead three militants in northern Baramulla district late yesterday, army spokesman Vijay Batra said.

One of the slain militants was identified as Tanveer Abbasi, whose alias is Gazali. “Gazali was serving as chief financial controller of the Harkat-ul-Mujahedin militant group,” Batra told AFP. Harkat is one of a dozen rebel groups fighting Indian troops.

Two rebels, one of them the district commander of another hardline group, were killed by troops in another gunbattle in the southern district of Pulwama late yesterday, Batra said. Three more rebels and an Indian army soldier were also killed late yesterday in clashes in the adjoining southern districts of Rajouri and Doda, a police spokesman said.

The violence came a day after India’s Home Minister Shivraj Patil toured Kashmir to review security arrangements for the ongoing annual Hindu pilgrimage to the cave shrine of Amarnath. In the past, the festival has been marred by attacks by militants.

Meanwhile, a major tragedy was averted in Jammu and Kashmir today with the detection of a powerful bomb planted at a bus terminus.

An Indian Army bomb disposal squad diffused a powerful improvised explosive device planted in a scooter parked inside the main bus stand at Baramulla, police said. The bomb would have crated mayhem had it gone off as hundreds of commuters were crowding the bus stand, police said.