Indian troops shot dead six Muslim militants in an extended gunbattle in the troubled Kashmir region on Friday, a military official said.
A group of militants opened fire on troops late Thursday around 150 kilometers (95 miles) north of the city of Jammu in the Indian-held sector of the divided Himalayan region, said the official.
He said clashes continued throughout Friday in the Keri sector, close to the Line of Control (LOC) dividing Kashmir into Indian and Pakistani-held areas, and that troops later discovered the bodies of six militants.
The clashes came despite the Indian government's decision on January 23 to extend for one month a suspension of counter-insurgency operations against Muslim militant groups in Kashmir.
The unilateral ceasefire will next be reviewed on February 26.
India blames Pakistan for fuelling the Muslim insurgency in Kashmir that has claimed more than 34,000 lives since 1989.
Pakistan denies the charge but offers moral and diplomatic support to what it views as the Kashmiris legitimate struggle for self-determination -- JAMMU, India (AFP)
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