India 'kills Kashmir intruders'

The alleged infiltration was said to be the first major raid this year

Four suspected militants have been shot dead along the Kashmiri Line of Control, Indian security forces say.

The gun battle happened in Poonch district, near the line that divides the Indian and Pakistani-administered parts of Kashmir.

Militant separatists have been fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, which is claimed by both Pakistan and India, since 1989.

About 40,000 people are reported to have been killed in the fighting.

Both countries have been observing a ceasefire in the troubled region since November 2003.

Indian army officials say that infiltration across the de-facto border has fallen since the truce began.

'Gunfire returned'

A senior official of India's paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF), Bansi Dhar Sharma, told the BBC that Tuesday's incident was the first major attempt by militants to sneak into India this year.

"The infiltrating militants were asked to surrender. They instead opened fire that was promptly returned," a police spokesman told the AFP news agency.

The incident comes weeks ahead of Indian Foreign Minister Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan for peace talks.

India and Pakistan have fought two wars over disputes in Kashmir.

They embarked on a peace process in January last year to try to resolve outstanding differences, including those over Kashmir.

India has also reduced the number of troops deployed in Indian-administered Kashmir because of the perceived decrease in violence.