SRINAGAR, July 4: Five Indian soldiers and a Kashmiri militant were killed on Friday in continuing fighting near the Line of Control, the army said.

“In fresh fighting today (Friday) five soldiers, including two officers, and a militant were killed,” an army spokesman said.

The clash took place in Pathri Behak area in the mountainous district of Kupwara, about 140km north of occupied Srinagar.

“The fighting has been raging there since late Monday,” the spokesman said, adding that in all a dozen militants and six soldiers had died, making it the deadliest series of clashes so far this year in Kashmir.

Soldiers came under heavy fire when they resumed searches to root out more militants near the Line of Control on Friday morning. “The operation in the area is still on,” the spokesman said.—AFP