9 die in fresh Kashmir fighting ahead of I-Day
Three Islamic militants and two soldiers died in a fierce clash in northern Baramulla district late Saturday, a police official said, and another militant died in a clash in southern Poonch district.
Police also accused militants of killing two Muslim civilians and a village defence committee member in southern Doda district late Saturday.
Rebels opposed to Indian rule in divided Kashmir mostly target people they suspect of working for Indian troops or for pro-India political parties.
The fresh violence comes ahead of Monday's celebrations marking the day in 1947 when Britain granted independence to India.
A day before India's independence, Pakistan won its freedom from Britain. Many rebels and separatists want Indian Kashmir to merge with Pakistan. Others want total independence from the two countries, who each hold part of the region but claim it in full.
Security is strengthened every year on August 15. Rebels have disrupted official celebrations in the past by hurling grenades and firing rockets and assault rifles at venues.
Residents said more troops and police have been deployed in the summer capital Srinagar, the urban hub of a 16-year Islamic insurgency against Indian rule.
The main function is slated for Srinagar's Bakshi Stadium, where the region's Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and other top pro-India politicians and bureaucrats will be in attendance.
The popular soccer stadium has been targeted in the past.
"We have intensified search operations to keep militants at bay," a paramilitary officer near the stadium told AFP, asking not to be named.
Earlier two Kashmiri militant groups in India have rejected a call by the region's top woman politician for a truce, saying their "Jihad" or holy war would continue until the region was wrested from India.
The Himalayan region's top woman politician appealed to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf Thursday to help bring peace to the revolt-hit region by persuading Islamic militants to declare a ceasefire.
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