Two killed as infiltration bid foiled in Indian Kashmir

Oct 30, 2009, 9:18 GMT

   Srinagar, Kashmir - Two men, one of whom was suspected of being a Pakistani soldier, were killed Friday by Indian troops while the two were attempting to cross the Line of Control, which divides the disputed Kashmir region between the two countries, news reports and officials said.

   The heavily armed men were confronted by soldiers as they were trying to sneak into India-administered Kashmir from the Pakistani side in the Keran sector, army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel JS Brar said.

   The two infiltrators were killed in an exchange of gunfire in the frontline region, 130 kilometres north of the state capital Srinagar, Brar said.

   The NDTV network reported that Pakistani troops had opened fire to facilitate the infiltration bid and one of the slain men was a Pakistani army soldier.

   The Indian army could not immediately confirm the development. 'We found an identity card which suggests that he was from the Pakistan army, but it will take some time to confirm this,' Brar said.

   The incident came a day after security forces killed two militants trying to infiltrate from the Tangdhar border region.

   Senior Indian Army officials accuse Pakistani troops of helping militants infiltrate into the Indian side of the Line of Control to carry out attacks.

   Kashmir is located in the Himalayas, and the Line of Control runs through rough mountain terrain that is snowbound for large parts of the year.

   Nuclear-capable neighbours India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the disputed region.

   India-administered Kashmir has seen a violent separatist militant movement that peaked in the late 1980s. India accuses Pakistan of aiding the militants and allowing them to run training camps across the Line of Control.

   Pakistan denies the charge and calls Kashmiri militants freedom fighters.