About 7 suspected militants killed in 2 separate gunbattles in Kashmir

About seven suspected militants were killed by the Indian army in two separate gunbattles near the heavily militarized line dividing the disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan. An army officer said that four militants were killed on Saturday after they crossed over from Pakistani-held territory into the Indian portion of Kashmir in Kupwara region. Three militants were killed on Friday in another clash near the de facto border, said the officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military policy. He said that the Indian army recovered the bodies of six militants and some arms. The fighting occurred near the border village of Shala Bhata, where the army says its troops have been fighting dozens of armed militants for 12 days. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since they gained independence from Britain in 1947, while rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for independence or for merger with neighboring Pakistan, though most resistance is now shown through street protests. An estimated 68,000 people have been killed in the conflict. A 2003 cease-fire agreement between India and Pakistan has largely calmed the disputed Kashmir border. But the two sides occasionally accuse each other of violating it by firing mortars or gunshots.