Alwaght- Army Forces killed three pro-independence militias in Indian-controlled Kashmir’s main city, Srinagar, triggering new protests against New Delhi.
Indian police said three Kashmiris, including two teenagers, were killed in an exchange of fire with government troops, which lasted for 18 hours.
During the operation, the locals said, Indian forces had laid siege to a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city in search of the militias, blowing up at least five houses with explosives there.
Following the incident, clashes broke out on Sunday between Indian forces and the Kashmiris, who were protesting the killings in Srinigar, according to local media.
Government troops fired warning shots, shotgun pellets and tear gas to disperse the stone-throwing demonstrators.
The explosions prompted local residents to make efforts to reach the site of the attack.
Kashmir is divided between rivaling nuclear powers India and Pakistan, who both claim the territory in its entirety.
The majority of the people in the Muslim-dominant region support the militants who demand either independence or a merger with Pakistan, often participating in civilian street protests against Indian control.
Over the years, violence between the two sides has resulted in the death of nearly 70,000 people, mostly civilians.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming and training the autonomy-seeking militants. Pakistan strongly rejects the claim.
The nuclear-armed neighboring countries fought several wars over the region since their partition and independence from Britain in 1947.
