Six killed in shooutout in held Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Five freedom fighters and an air force commando were killed during a fierce gunbattle Saturday in Indian-occupied Kashmir which also left another soldier injured, the Indian army said.

The shootout began when soldiers cordoned a neighbourhood in the northern area of Hajin after a tip-off that ‘militants’ were hiding there, said army spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

"Five militants have been killed in the operation," Kalia said. "One IAF (India Air Force) soldier was martyred and another army soldier was injured."



On Friday a ‘militant’ and a police officer were killed in the outskirts of the main city of Srinagar during a brief shootout.

Freedom fighters have for decades fought Indian soldiers and paramilitaries deployed in the disputed region, demanding independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The fighting has left tens of thousands, mostly civilians, dead.