'Six militants killed' in Kashmir

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The authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir say the security forces have killed six militants in clashes.

They say two militants belonging to the pro-Pakistan group, Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed in a firefight on Monday.

Four other militants were killed in two separate clashes in Baramulla and Bandipora districts, authorities say.

Militants have been fighting Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989 at a cost of more than 60,000 lives. But violence has reduced since a 2003 ceasefire.

Authorities say that the two militants belonging to the pro-Pakistan group were killed in the village of Chhotipora near the frontier town of Handwara.

The police said they had information that the militants, armed with rocket propelled grenades and automatic rifles, were planning to attack an army convoy.

Senior police official Haseeb Mughal said the "militants went into a small shrine, but we fired tear gas shells to smoke them out".

They were killed in the firefight that followed, he said.

Two other militants belonging to the same group were killed in a separate clash with troops in Rafiabad area of Baramulla, authorities said.

And two "unidentified" militants have been gunned down in a third clash in Bandipora district, the police said.

There has so far been no word from Lashkar-e-Toiba over the killings.