Indian troops shot dead three suspected insurgents in the Delhi-administered part of the Kashmir region, the Associated Press reported press, quoted by BTA.
A statement from the Indian Army said troops encountered militants in a forested area in southern Anantnag district. A shootout ensued in which two of the rebels were killed.
Meanwhile, Indian police officers and paramilitary units have responded to a report of an insurgent hiding in a home in Srinagar, the main city of the disputed region. Law enforcement cordoned off an entire neighborhood, during which a shootout broke out and the alleged insurgent was killed. Local residents say that the house where the fighter was hiding was then set on fire. This is a frequently used tactic by the Indian military in the Himalayan region, notes AP.
At this time, the information has not been confirmed by an independent source.
India and Pakistan rule separate parts of Kashmir, but both countries lay claim to the entire territory. The rival nuclear powers have fought three wars over Kashmir since it gained independence from British colonial rule in 1947.
Since 1989, the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir has been home to rebel groups opposed to Indian rule. Much of the region's Muslim population supports the insurgents' demand for Kashmir to be unified under Pakistani rule or declared an independent state.
India considers the insurgents' actions to be Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a charge Islamabad denies.