03/10/2013 10:10
Kashmir clashes: India troops 'fight Pakistan infiltrators'
India's army says its troops have been engaged in fighting Pakistan-backed armed militants in Indian-administered Kashmir for more than a week, the BBC reported.
Some 30 to 40 fighters have crossed the Line of Control (LoC), which divides the region, senior army officer Gurmeet Singh said. There has been no immediate comment from Pakistan.
Claimed by both countries, Kashmir has been a flashpoint for over 60 years.
Bilateral ties have been strained over recent clashes in the disputed region.
Last month, at least 10 people were killed when militants stormed a police station and an army camp in the Poonch area of Indian-administered Kashmir.
India has a large security presence in Kashmir with tens of thousands of police and paramilitary forces deployed in the region.
"The army is fighting the largest group of infiltrators including some special troops on the line of control with Pakistan in Indian territory. It's one of the longest operations in Kashmir," Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh said.
Some 10 to 12 infiltrators have been killed by Indian soldiers, Mr Singh said, adding that another group of 10 men had tried to cross over on Tuesday.
Mr Singh told reporters that Indian soldiers first encountered up to 40 militants on 24 September in an abandoned village called Shala Bhata near the line of control.
"There is no question of our territory being taken over," he said, adding that the army was in "total control of the operation."