Five security officers shot dead in Indian-held Kashmir

Two police officers were on a routine patrol when rebels fired automatic weapons from a moving vehicle

SRINAGAR: Five Indian security personnel have been shot dead by suspected rebels in restive Indian-held Kashmir in the past two days, police said Saturday.

Two police officers were on a routine patrol Saturday when rebels fired automatic weapons from a moving vehicle in southern Anantnag town, killing them on the spot.

"The attackers fled the area after the firing," Javid Gillani, inspector general of police, told AFP.



On Friday, three paramilitary soldiers from India's Border Security Force were killed when militants fired bullets from automatic assault rifles at their moving convoy.

Friday's attack was claimed by Hizbul Mujahideen, one of the region's several rebel groups who have been fighting Indian forces for decades, seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan.

Kashmir has been divided between rivals India and Pakistan since 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety.



Overall violence in the region has declined during the last decade, but armed encounters between rebels and government forces occur regularly.

In recent months the region has witnessed an uptick in rebel attacks on security forces with many dying on both sides.

Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict so far.