Indian troops kill Kashmir 'militants'

Troops in Indian-administered Kashmir are reported to have shot dead at least seven Muslim militants during an operation in Poonch district.

An army spokesman said that fighting broke out early today after the troops cordoned off a suspected militant hideout in the Surankot area.

He said the gunbattle continued after the alleged militants were killed.

In a separate incident, officials said that an Indian soldier was killed in Samba district as Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire overnight across the border.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service