SRINAGAR, July 24: Clashes in occupied Kashmir left 13 people dead on Thursday and Wednesday night, police said.
Indian troops claimed killing five militants in clashes with the militants in Kupwara district.
A spokesman said an Indian army soldier was also killed in one of the clashes in Kupwara.
“All the encounters erupted during cordon and search operations launched jointly by the security forces in the sensitive district,” he said.
The spokesman alleged four of the slain militants were from Pakistan or Azad Kashmir and belonged to the Lashkar-i-Taiba.
Another militant was killed in Anantnag district on Thursday night, while two Muslim civilians were killed in the same district on Thursday.
Police said four Muslim residents in the districts of Budgam, Doda and Rajouri were also killed in the past 24 hours.
MORE ATTACKS FEARED: India’s army commander for Kashmir, who survived a suicide attack two days ago, has warned that Mujahideen are planning other similar attacks.
“The fact I would like to bring across is that these attacks will be there as we are maintaining relentless pressure on them,” said Lt-Gen. Hari Prasad, the chief of Indian army’s northern command, responsible for occupied Kashmir’s security.
“Probably (suicide attacks) will increase,” he told reporters late on Wednesday at the army headquarters in Srinagar.
The general received minor shrapnel injuries when a freedom fighter attacked a group of officers at Tanda garrison near Jammu on Tuesday. A brigadier was killed and two other generals injured.—AFP
