Associated Press

Srinagar, June 17:

At least 10 people were killed in violence in Kashmir today, including six suspected Islamic rebels who allegedly were trying to sneak into the Indian side from Pakistani territory, an official said. A separate clash between the army and suspected rebels killed another insurgent

in Walahama, a village south of Srinagar, the summer capital of India’s Jammu-Kashmir state,

army spokesman lieutenant colonel VK Batra said. Also today, two former militants and one civilian were killed in separate shootouts, he said. Suspecting intrusion by suspected guerrillas, border guards in the mountainous Tangdhar sector opened fire on the Indian side of the Line of Control that divides the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, Batra said.

Tangdhar is about 120 kilometres north of Srinagar. “We detected an infiltration bid and six infiltrators have been killed,” Batra said. He said that soldiers were combing the area looking for more insurgents. India accuses Pakistan of training and arming Islamic rebels who have been fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan since 1989. Over 66,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the conflict. Pakistan denies the charge and says it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the rebels. Relations between India and Pakistan have been improving since January last year. Pakistan has promised India that it will not allow its territory to be used for terrorist activity.