Indian troops martyr five in occupied Kashmir

Troops martyred Kashmiri youth in Pulwama, Baramullah districts

Indian troops in their ongoing act of state-sanctioned brutality martyred on Thursday five youth in the Pulwama and Baramulla districts of Indian-occupied Kashmir (IOK).

Three freedom fighters and an Indian soldier were killed in the gun battle in Dalipora village which began in the early hours, police said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave troops a "free hand" to respond to the attack, and near-daily searches in villages in IOK since then have often triggered violent confrontations.

Tensions in the held territory have been since the February 14 suicide attack that killed over 40 Indian paramilitaries.

Villagers in the area have complained before about the army using Kashmiris as human shields in searches.

With additional input from Reuters