5 Kashmiri Militants Killed Near Pakistan Border: India

Five Kashmiri militants were killed on Sunday as they tried to enter the Indian-administered side from Pakistan, an Indian army spokesman said.

The militants were trying to cross the line of control (LOC), a de facto border which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, when the Indian army units shot them down, said Col. Rajesh Kaila in a statement.

In the gun battle which ensued, three Indian soldiers were also killed, he added.

Other injured soldiers are being treated at a hospital, he said.

This is the first major gun battle between Indian forces and militants along the LoC in northern Kashmir in recent days, although Pakistani and Indian forces have been firing at each other regularly.

Pakistan army rejected the Indian claims calling it New Delhi's attempt to divert international attention from the humanitarian crisis in the dispute region.

Jammu and Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts, and claimed by both in full. A small sliver is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought four wars -- in 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 -- three of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989. -