Four alleged mujahideen and four Indian occupation forces personnel were killed in a fierce gun battle on Friday in restive Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK). The gunfight occurred at Bimbher Gali in Rajouri district 180 kilometres (110 miles) north-west of the winter capital Jammu when Indian border guards spotted border infiltrators, Indian defence ministry spokesman Colonel D.K. Badola said.
"The infiltrators equipped with sophisticated weapons opened indiscriminate fire on our soldiers resulting in the death of one army man," he said, adding occupation troops retaliated killing two rebels.
Another three Indian soldiers and two alleged mujahideen were killed later, he said. Large quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered from the dead militants.
Violence has continued in occupied Kashmir despite a 19-month-old peace process between India and Pakistan to resolve their pending disputes, including the vexed question of occupied Kashmir.
India accuses Pakistan of sending in Islamic rebels from its zone of the disputed region to stoke the rebellion in Indian-occupied Kashmir.