Five soldiers, two militants killed in Kashmir

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SRINAGAR, India, Mar 22 (AFP): Five Indian soldiers and two Muslim rebels were killed in a gunbattle in Kashmir Sunday, police said, a day after Pakistani and Indian troops traded fire across the de facto border.
The deaths came during some of the fiercest fighting for months and follow Saturday's cross-border firing that left one Indian soldier dead.
The fighting Sunday erupted in northern Kupwara district as Indian troops launched a search operation in thick forest.
"As the troops moved in, militants opened fire killing five soldiers, including an officer," a police officer said, adding two militants had died in retaliatory firing.
"The fighting is going still going on," he said, adding army reinforcements have been rushed to the area.