Some 20 Muslim militants were killed in a fierce battle on Friday in Kashmir after Pakistani troops shelled Indian border villages, a top military commander said.
Pakistani forces shelled the Nowshehra and Poonch areas, 250 km northwest of Jammu, to push through the militants, said P.C. Das, commanding officer of the 16th Corps.
He said that the shelling caused no casualties on the Indian side but it was unclear whether injuries were caused by Indian retalitatory fire across the Line of Control (LoC).
Das said that a group of militants, most of them "foreign mercenaries," opened fire on Indian troops in the Poonch district. Fighting lasted for several hours, after which 20 bodies were recovered.
Some militants might have escaped and a manhunt had been launched to find them, Das said. He added that the Indian search operation was impeded by heavy rain.
Das accused Pakistan of using mortar fire on the LoC to help the militants infiltrate.
"Troops have been directed to take any suitable and effective measures to foil any infiltration or intrusion bid from across the LoC," he said. Bureau Report