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Death toll in Kashmir violence surges to 50

NEW DELHI, July 30 (KUNA) -- The death toll in ongoing violence in Kashmir surged to 50 on Saturday as two soldiers and militants were killed in the Kupwara district of the north Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, sources in the Indian army said.
Quoting an army official, the Press Trust of India said security forces detected suspected movements along the Line of Control dividing India and Pakistan in the Naugam sector.
In the ensuing exchange of fire between the two sides, two soldiers and militants were killed, the official said, adding that security forces gunned down four militants and captured another on Tuesday in efforts to thwart an infiltration bid.
In a related development, tension has been on the rise since the killing of separatist leader Burhan Wani by Indian security forces, triggering mass protests against excessive use of force by security guards against protesters of Wani's killing, which claimed the lives of more than 50 civilians and injured around 3,500 others.
Indian authorities have imposed a curfew for the last 18 years in most parts of the state, while Kashmiri leaders have called for a strike in response to the death of civilians at the hands of security forces. (end) atk.nam