Clashes erupt in India's Jammu and Kashmir region, leaving 6 dead

By Aynur Seyma Asan

Two militants and four security officers were killed Wednesday in clashes in India's Jammu and Kashmir region.

A joint operation was launched by the Indian army and police based on "intelligence indicating the presence of a group of terrorists” in the Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, India's NDTV channel reported.

Security forces initiated an operation in some areas of Jammu and Kashmir in response to the information.

The Indian army said that in Kokernag, two soldiers and one police officer lost their lives during a confrontation with militants.

Police added that one soldier and two militants also died during a clash in Rajouri district.

- Disputed region

Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965 and 1971. Two of them were over Kashmir.

Also, in the Siachen glacier region in northern Kashmir, Indian and Pakistani troops have fought intermittently since 1984. A cease-fire came into effect in 2003.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

Thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989, according to several human rights organizations.