Muslim rebels have made one of their biggest incursions in months into Indian Kashmir from Pakistan but Indian forces have foiled their bid, killing 15 of them, the Indian army said today.
An army spokesman said the rebels had tried to infiltrate into Indian Kashmir yesterday night to join separatist militants who have been fighting Indian rule in the Muslim-majority region for 14 years.
The operation against the infiltrators was still going on in the Gurez sector north of Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, he added.
Officials say infiltration has increased in recent weeks because militants traditionally try to slip into Indian Kashmir before winter snow blocks mountain passes.
In a separate incident, an Indian soldier was killed and two were wounded when Pakistani troops fired mortar bombs across the disputed Kashmir border, police said.
Since Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee called for peace talks in April between the nuclear neighbours, who nearly went to war for a fourth time last year, they have restored diplomatic relations, resumed a cross-border bus service and opened talks on restoring air links.
But India has linked fresh talks with Pakistan on improving ties to an end to attacks by the rebels in Kashmir. Muslim Pakistan says it has done all it can to stop the militants and has repeatedly called for talks to resolve the Kashmir dispute.