Death toll rises to 24 in (Indian Occupied Kashmir) IOK clashes

SRINAGAR/ISLAMABAD: Troops in Indian-held Kashmir shot dead five militants on Tuesday, bringing the death toll on both sides from five days of forest gun battles to 24, the Indian Army said in a statement. It said eight soldiers and 16 militants had died in the fighting in Kupwara district close to the Line of Control that divided IHK and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Indian Army spokesman Lt Col JS Brar said the fighting – which had started on Friday morning – had been the longest and bloodiest in the disputed Himalayan region this year, AP reported. Eleven civilians were also killed in the gunfight, which also left several injured, APP reported. agencies