Srinagar: Eleven people have died, including seven civilians, in a gunfight between militants and soldiers in India's Jammu and Kashmir state and the clashes that followed, police said on Saturday.
The gunfight took place in the early morning in Sirnoo village in Pulwama district as a joint team of the army and paramilitary personnel searched for militants after receiving "credible intelligence," police sources said.
One soldier and three militants died in the ensuing gunfight.
Local youths then tried to march to the site of the gunbattle, leading to clashes with security forces and police. Police tried to disperse them using teargas, and live fire.
At least seven civilians died and 10 people were injured, police said.
A deep anti-India sentiment runs through the Kashmir valley which has seen a deadly secessionist movement since the 1980s. More than 40,000 people have died in the unrest.
The Kashmir region is disputed territory between India and Pakistan. (QNA)
