At least five people - including three separatist militants, an army major and a soldier - are dead after a gunbattle in India-administered Kashmir, officials said Saturday, according to dpa. Citizens in Indian Kashmir are voting during the country's multi-phased elections. The next rounds of polling are due in the region on April 30 and May 7. Senior police officer Vijay Kumar said the clash began Friday when three militants holed up in a house in a village near the town of Shopian opened fire after being asked to surrender. Two rebels and an army major were killed in the gunbattle late Friday. The third militant was killed as fighting resumed Saturday morning. A soldier who was wounded in the firing also succumbed to injuries on Saturday. Militants and separatist parties have issued calls to people to boycott the elections. Shopian is situated in the parliamentary district of Anantnag, where militants killed a polling officer in an attack during voting on Thursday. Nearly 44,000 people have died in violence since the secessionist militant movement peaked in the region in 1988, according to the South Asia Terrorism Portal. India has repeatedly accused Pakistan of aiding Kashmiri militants. Islamabad denies the charge, calling the insurgents freedom fighters.
