SRINAGAR, India -- Militants shot dead five Hindu villagers and security forces killed three rebels in separate incidents in the restive Kashmir region on Sunday, officials said.

"Militants descended on a village and barged into the houses of the minority community and opened fire.

Five people died and four were injured," a police official said in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir, India's only Muslim-majority state.

He said security forces had been rushed to the village Balmatkote near Udhampur, 66km (40 miles) east of Jammu, after the killings, Reuters reported.

In Srinagar, the state's summer capital, a security official said three members of a pro-Pakistan rebel group were killed in a gun battle with Indian troops.

He said two soldiers were also wounded in the armed encounter, which took place in Budgam district west of Srinagar.

The fresh violence comes as tensions between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan have begun to ease after U.S.-led international efforts to pull them back from the brink of a fourth war.

"Army and BSF (Border Security Force) in a joint operation shot dead three militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen group," a BSF spokesman told Reuters.

Frontline Kashmiri militant group, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, is fighting for Kashmir's merger with neighboring Pakistan.

India accuses Pakistan of stoking the rebellion in Kashmir by pushing militants across a cease-fire line dividing the disputed region.

Pakistan denies the charge, saying it provides only moral and diplomatic support to what it calls a struggle for self-determination.

New Delhi says the military standoff, in which the two armies have massed a million troops along their border, will end after Pakistan stops infiltration of militants into Indian Kashmir.

The two countries have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947.

bc-sotuhasia-kashmir-violence sotuhasia-kashmir-violence:five hindus, three rebels killed in kashmir srinagar, india, june 16 (reuters) - militants shot dead five hindu villagers and security forces killed three rebels in separate incidents in the restive kashmir region on sunday, officials said.

"militants descended on a village and barged into the houses of the minority community and opened fire.

five people died and four were injured," a police official said in jammu, the winter capital of jammu and kashmir, india's only muslim-majority state.

he said security forces had been rushed to the village balmatkote near udhampur, 66 km (40 miles) east of jammu, after the killings.

in srinagar, the state's summer capital, a security official said three members of a pro-pakistan rebel group were killed in a gun battle with indian troops.

he said two soldiers were also wounded in the armed encounter, which took place in budgam district west of srinagar.

the fresh violence comes as tensions between nuclear rivals india and pakistan have begun to ease after u.s.-led international efforts to pull them back from the brink of a fourth war.

"army and bsf (border security force) in a joint operation shot dead three militants of hizb-ul-mujahideen group," a bsf spokesman told reuters.

frontline kashmiri militant group, hizb-ul-mujahideen, is fighting for kashmir's merger with neighbouring pakistan.

india accuses pakistan of stoking the rebellion in kashmir by pushing militants across a ceasefire line dividing the disputed region.

pakistan denies the charge, saying it provides only moral and diplomatic support to what it calls a struggle for self-determination.

new delhi says the military standoff, in which the two armies have massed a million troops along their border, will end after pakistan stops infiltration of militants into indian kashmir.

the two countries have fought two of their three wars over kashmir since their independence from britain in 1947. ‘