SRINAGAR, India (AFP) — Indian troops shot dead seven Islamic militants, including Pakistanis, in revolt-hit Kashmir ahead of another round of voting in state elections, police said Saturday.
Separatist politicians and rebels have appealed to Kashmiris to boycott the polls, arguing that elections strengthen India's sway over the disputed region.
But so far turnout for the seven-stage election has been strong in the Muslim-majority region where Islamic militants are battling New Delhi's rule.
"The militants were killed in two separate gunbattles in (southern) Pulwama and (northern) Bandipora districts," a police statement said.
Two of the militants were Pakistani nationals and "both were members of Lashkar-e-Toiba" militant group, the statement said.
The hardline organisation has been blamed by Indian officials for multiple attacks on the country's financial centre Mumbai, which ended early Saturday and left nearly 200 people dead, including over 20 foreigners.
Lashkar spokesman Abdullah Gaznavi has denied the group's involvement, saying the outfit was being named to "malign Kashmir's freedom struggle".
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, both of which have nuclear arms and claim the whole region.
The fighting came ahead of Sunday's third round of voting in the Kupwara district, considered "sensitive" by election officials because it borders the Pakistan-administered part of the region.
Indian troops have ringed all 448 voting stations to provide "foolproof security" to voters in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, a police officer said.
Indian authorities stagger the polls in order to move troops around to provide security to voters in the troubled region.
The nearly 20-year-old insurgency has left over 47,000 people dead according to the official count and thousands more according to separatists and human rights groups.
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