SRINAGAR – An Indian soldier and five freedom fighters have died infighting in Kashmir, Indian army said on Monday, just days after high-leveltalks with Pakistan were cancelled over tensions in the disputed territory.
Colonel Rajesh Kalia said two suspected rebels died Sunday when the armydetected a group trying to cross the de facto border dividing Kashmir intoIndian and Pakistani sectors.
Three more suspected militants, and an Indian soldier, were killed Monday.
The incidents in northern Tangdhar area, near the heavily militarisedHimalayan frontier dividing the nuclear-armed neighbours, could not beindependently verified.
Last week India abruptly cancelled a meeting with Pakistan, just 24 hoursafter agreeing to the rare encounter on the sidelines of the UN GeneralAssembly in New York.
High-level talks between India and Pakistan are rare and the meeting,between their foreign ministers, would have been the first for nearly threeyears.
New Delhi said it cancelled the talks after the “brutal killings of oursecurity personnel by Pakistan-based entities”.
Last week three policeman were abducted and killed by militants in Kashmir,and a border guard was also murdered in the divided region.
India also objected to the release of Pakistani postage stamps in July”glorifying a terrorist and terrorism”, saying it revealed their “evilagenda”.
Among the commemorative stamps was one of Burhan Wani, a charismaticKashmiri militant commander killed by Indian troops in July 2016.
His death sparked a wave of violent protests in the part of Kashmiradministered by India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called it an “arrogant and negativeresponse” to his calls for the resumption of peace talks.
India s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said Khan had written to PrimeMinister Narendra Modi last week about a “readiness to discuss terrorism”but had shown his “true face”.
India has long accused Pakistan of arming rebel groups in Kashmir, whichhas been divided between the two countries since the end of Britishcolonial rule in 1947.
India also accuses Pakistan of financing the deadly 2008 militant attacksin Mumbai.
Rebel groups have since 1989 been fighting Indian police and soldiersdeployed in Kashmir. They seek its unification with Pakistan or itsindependence.
Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting. – APP/AFP