Gun battle in Kashmir

Violence has continued in Kashmir

Indian soldiers have killed at least three separatist militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, reports say.

The gun battle took place south of the state's summer capital, Srinagar.

"We know that there are three militants killed so far," a police officer told the Reuters news agency.

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

But India is still concerned about separatist violence in Kashmir.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee asked German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to press Pakistan to reign in the militants.

Earlier this week nine people 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 in a gun battle in neighbouring Poonch district.

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).

Diplomatic moves

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.

India and Pakistan 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.