SRINAGAR, July 14: Indian troops on Thursday recovered the bodies of five militants as they hunted rebels high in the rugged mountains of Kashmir, while seven people died in other violence, the army said. After two days of skirmishes between troops and rebels ensconced at glacial heights in northern Gurez sector, there were no further gunbattles on Thursday, Indian army spokesman Vijay Batra told AFP.

The army says the militants were infiltrators.

“Intermittent exchanges continued throughout Wednesday,” said Batra, who added however that the firing had stopped after dark.

This had allowed troops on Thursday to advance up the mountains, although heavy rain had hampered their progress.

“The militants are hiding in the area and we are going all out to seek them,” said Batra.

He declined to estimate the number of rebels. The military has said they made up the largest infiltration into held Kashmir since India and Pakistan began a peace process to solve their decades-old dispute over Kashmir 19 months ago.