India army: Soldiers kill 6 militants along Kashmir frontier

SRINAGAR, India – The Indian military says a group of militants have sneaked into the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir from the Pakistani side of the disputed territory, sparking a gunbattle that left at least six suspected militants dead.

The military says fighting began early Sunday when soldiers intercepted a group of insurgents along the highly militarized de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

The incident occurred in the remote and forested northwestern Keran sector.

There's no independent confirmation.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 and demand that Kashmir be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown since 1989.