Indian troops kill 3 suspected rebels in disputed Kashmir

Indian troops killed three suspected militants in a gunfight in the disputed Kashmir region, police said on Sunday.

The gunfight took place in the southern Shopian district, one of the worst-hit by violence in Kashmir.

Police said they were acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

The militants were surrounded and asked to surrender, but they refused and opened fire, police said.

The troops retaliated, killing the militants.

Police said the militants were affiliated with the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The killings come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

Both countries claim the Himalayan region in full, but control only parts of it.

Kashmir has been a flashpoint for decades, and thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.