Fresh killings in Kashmir

Militants have been targeting soldiers' families

At least nine people have died in two separate attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Five members of a Muslim family, including three children, were shot dead by suspected militants in Rajouri district some 180 kilometres (112 miles) north of Jammu.

In a separate incident, three militants and a policeman were killed after a gunbattle in neighbouring Poonch district.

The violence comes at a time when India and Pakistan have taken steps to defuse tensions over the Kashmir dispute.

On Monday, Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha was reported as saying Delhi would not press for a complete halt to cross-border infiltration by separatist militants as a precondition for talks.

The comments were published by the Financial Times newspaper in what it described as a significant shift in Indian policy.

Family killed

Police say a group of militants entered a remote village in the mountains in Rajouri, which is close to the border with Pakistan.

They entered the house of a Muslim shepherd and shot him dead along with his wife and three sons, aged between five and 13.

A police team has left for the area, which is some distance away from the nearest town.

It is still not clear who carried out the attack or why the family was targeted.

In a similar attack last week, four women and two children were killed by unidentified militants in a remote village in Rajouri.

All were family members of three men who worked in the police and the Indian army.

The BBC's Binoo Joshi in Jammu says militant groups have been targeting the families of soldiers in recent attacks.

Ties restored

In the second attack in Poonch, Indian troops and Kashmir state policemen cordoned off an area near Surankote, a suspected militant hideout.

A gunbattle left three militants and a policemen dead.

Last week the Indian army announced that it had killed more than 60 militants hiding in the Surankote hills, in Operation Sarp Vinash (Annihilation of Snakes).

The latest violence comes amid fresh moves to resolve the long-running Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan.

Both sides have made conciliatory gestures in the past few weeks, including restoring diplomatic ties at the highest level after 18 months.

India accuses Pakistan of fomenting the insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir, especially by helping militants cross over from Pakistani-controlled territory, and has always said such activity must end before any talks between the two sides can take place.

Islamabad denies the allegation, saying it only offers diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiri separatists.