Clash leaves eight dead in IoK

The death toll in a weekend gunfight between suspected rebels and troops in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) has risen to eight, a senior military officer said on Monday.
The prolonged shootout that erupted on Sunday in the Himalayan region’s Samba area, 70 kilometres (44 miles) south of Occupied Kashmir’s winter capital Jammu, came after a sharp drop in violence in recent months.
Three civilians, a photo-journalist, two soldiers and two insurgents died, said Lieutenant General Vinay Sharma, who oversaw the counter insurgency operation.
Violence has sharply dropped in IoK since the launch of a peace process between Pakistan and India in January 2004, but Indian officials say insurgents are still trying to cross into the scenic Himalayan region to sustain the insurgency.
India’s foreign minister is scheduled to visit Pakistan later this month to review the slow-moving dialogue process started by the two countries.