SRINAGAR, Aug 1: Indian troops killed five militants in two separate encounters in occupied Kashmir and engaged militants in a brief gunbattle in the region’s main city, the army and police said on Monday.

“Both the clashes erupted when troops launched search operations against militants,” said Vijay Batra, an army spokesman. He said troops were seeking militants at many other places in the occupied Kashmir after “intelligence tip-offs.”

Indian police and militants exchanged brief gunfire in Srinagar on Monday, police said. Two militants on a motorcycle were asked to stop at a checkpoint in Srinagar’s Nowpora area but ignored the signal and opened fire at the policemen, police said.—AFP