Government forces in Indian-administered Kashmir

A 7-year-old girl and three militants were killed in a shootout with government forces in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday, police said.

Soldiers and police surrounded a village in Kupwara district at dawn on the de-facto border that divides the disputed territory with Pakistan, believing armed militants were in the area.

“Three terrorists were killed in the operation. Unfortunately, we also lost a girl during the encounter,” director general of police S. P. Vaid told AFP.

The girl and a young boy were hit by stray bullets more than 100 meters from the firefight, Vaid added. The boy is in a stable condition in hospital, while a police officer was also being treated for injuries.

Last week a teenager was killed by a stray bullet during a skirmish between government and rebel forces outside the main city of Srinagar.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the disputed territory in its entirety.

Around 500,000 Indian soldiers are deployed in the region and the fighting has killed tens of thousands, most of them civilians.

Armed encounters between rebels and government forces have become more frequent following widespread unrest last year, sparked by the killing of a popular rebel leader by security forces in July.

Police and army officials say dozens of local youths have joined the rebel ranks since then.

At least 29 armed militants, mostly locals, have died fighting government forces this year.