Indian soldiers kill three separatists in held Kashmir

Deaths spark clashes between government forces and residents of the area

SRINAGAR: Indian security forces shot dead three separatists in Indian Kashmir Wednesday.

Inspector general of police Muneer Ahmed Khan said soldiers and police cordoned off a residential area after receiving information there were 'armed militants' there.

The deaths sparked clashes between Indian forces and residents of the area, near the town of Tral, where locals threw stones and shouted slogans against Indian rule. Tral is the home town of Burhan Wani, a hugely popular rebel leader whose death last year at the hands of security forces sparked months of deadly protests in Kashmir.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.