Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir

The militants targetted Indian army soldiers

By Altaf Hussain in Srinagar

Police in Indian-administered Kashmir say six Indian soldiers and more than 10 militants are among 20 people who have been killed in separate incidents of violence.

A captain of the Indian army and three soldiers were killed in a clash with militants in the town of Pattan, 2 km north of the capital Srinagar.

Police say two militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group and one civilian were also killed, and two houses were destroyed in the violence.

But a spokesman for the Hizbul Mujahideen claimed they had suffered no casualties.

Attacks

He said there were only two militants in the village and both of them were safe after the carried out an attack on the Indian troops with grenades.

In another incident, nine militants were killed in separate clashes with Indian soldiers at Rajouri, Badherwah and Reasi in the Jammu province.

Two civilians were also killed in the clash at Rajouri.

And security officials say two Indian soldiers were killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control - which divides Indian and Pakistani forces in Kashmir - in the Poonch sector.

Islamic conference

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the main separatist alliance, the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, says leaders of several Islamic countries have pledged their support for their campaign for self-determination in Kashmir.

Hurriyat leader, Moulvi Umar Farooq, had meetings with Malaysian President Mahathir Mohammed, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf at the Organisation of Islamic Conference summit in Qatar.

He also met the Turkish president, and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Hurriyat Conference has an observer status at the OIC.