NEW DELHI, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Five heavily armed infiltrators have been killed on the Line of Control (LoC) in India-controlled Kashmir in a shootout with the army that lasted nearly eight hours, according to Indo-Asian News Service report on Tuesday.

    An Indian defense spokesman said in Srinagar the guerrillas were challenged by troops of 20 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK Rifles) in the Machil sector of Baramulla district late Monday.

    "Taking advantage of darkness, the infiltrators tried to sneak into the Indian side of the LoC late last evening. As troops of 20 JAK Rifles challenged the group, they opened fire at the troops resulting in a bloody encounter," Indo-Asian News Service quoted a defense spokesman in Srinagar as saying.

    The five guerrillas were killed in the encounter. A large cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered from the slain guerrillas.

    This was a major infiltration bid by the guerrillas in the region this year that according to Indian army was foiled by alert troops guarding the LoC, the ceasefire line that divides Indian and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir. Indian troops did not suffer any casualty in the gun battle, the spokesman said. Enditem