A Pakistan-based militant group is threatening more violence in Indian-controlled Kashmir, after eight soldiers and 17 insurgents were killed in a five-day battle.
A spokesman for Laskhar-e-Taiba says the Islamist extremist group will continue to sacrifice for the freedom of Kashmir. India has blamed the group for last November's terrorist attacks on Mumbai, which left around 170 people dead.
Kashmir has a long history of violence, but the gun battle this past week was the biggest in recent months. The Himalayan region is divided between India and Pakistan. An Indian army spokesman, Gurmit Singh, says the battle erupted when soldiers began an operation to flush out terrorists who had crossed from Pakistan into Kashmir's Kupwara district.Singh says the militants were well trained and possessed sophisticated equipment, such as AK-47 rifles, pistols, and global-positioning systems.