Indian army says troops fighting militants who entered Indian-held Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India – The Indian army says its soldiers are battling dozens of anti-India rebels who crossed the heavily militarized border from the Pakistan-controlled portion of the disputed Kashmir region into Indian-held territory in recent days.

Lt. Gen. Gurmeet Singh, an Indian army commander in Kashmir, says soldiers first intercepted up to 40 militants on Sept. 24 in the abandoned village of Shala Bhata, near the U.N.-drawn Line of Control that divides the Kashmir region.

Singh says at least 12 militants have been killed in fighting that has raged for nine days in and around the village, whose residents moved in 1990 to the Pakistani side. He says five soldiers have been wounded as of Wednesday night.

He denied Indian media reports that Pakistani soldiers had crossed the Line of Control.