6 Die in Attack on Kashmir Air Base

Indian security forces killed four Muslim separatist guerrillas when they tried to storm a key military airfield in Jammu and Kashmir state, officials said.

An Indian air force employee and a civilian also were killed in the 40-minute gun battle at the gates of Quil airport in the Avantipur area of southern Kashmir. Three other air force members and a paramilitary trooper were wounded, officials said.

Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based militant group that is fighting Indian rule in Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack. It said eight Indian soldiers died, along with four of its suicide fighters, who were disguised in police uniforms.