Indian army fights militants on Kashmir LoC

Indian army Wednesday said they were fighting infiltrators on line-of- control (LoC) dividing Kashmir for the past nine days. "The holed up militants would be flushed out and the area is under control of Indian army," said Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh, the General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based 15 Corps, addressing a press conference at Badamibagh cantonment. The press conference was addressed in wake of media reports that Pakistani troops have occupied Shala Bhata village near LoC in Kupwara and Indian army was using Air Force to vacate the area. The gunfight is ongoing in Keran sector of frontier Kupwara district, around 135 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. According to Singh, some 30-40 infiltrators were seen on Sept. 24, after which the area was cordoned off and operation to fight them was launched. "Some 12 militants were killed and army has not recovered their bodies so far," said Singh. "The bodies of militants are inconsequential for us." Singh said so far five troops have been wounded in fighting infiltrators. "Operation is in place. We are taking on them (militants) in an organized way," said Singh. "I will not like to hurry up the operation, for we want there should be no fatality from our side." Describing the holed up militants as some "specially trained" people, Singh said they could be also part of border action team ( BAT). But he did not specify whether they were part of BAT of Pakistani troops. The GoC denied media reports that Pakistan occupied a village along LoC. "Absurd to say that the post was occupied by the Pakistan army," Singh said. "There is no village in the area of cordon." Shala Bhata is a strategic point that overlooks Pakistan's main line of communication to the northern stretches of LoC. LoC is a de facto border that divides Kashmir into India and Pakistan controlled parts. Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from British, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. A separatist movement challenging New Delhi's rule is going on in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Militant groups are engaged in a guerrilla war with Indian troops across the restive region. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of providing arms and training to Kashmiri militants. However, Islamabad says it only provides moral and political support to Kashmiris.