Nine Killed In Kashmir Gun Battle

Indian forces on Monday killed three militants, including the suspected organizer of a suicide bombing in the disputed Kashmir area that fueled tension between India and Pakistan, police said.

The suicide bomb attack on a paramilitary police convoy in Pulwama last Thursday killed at least 40 men, the deadliest single assault on Indian forces in decades in the region.

The Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed responsibility for the attack. India accuses Pakistan for harboring the group, which Pakistan denies.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, facing an election that must be held by May, is under domestic pressure for decisive action against Pakistan. Modi has promised a strong response and says he has given the military a free hand to tackle cross-border militancy.