Moslem militants fighting for Kashmir's secession from India opened fire today on air force officers, killing at least four, police said. The killings raised to at least 61 the number of people killed in Kashmir since Saturday, when the lingering Moslem movement for secession from Hindu-majority India flared. Most of the killings have occured in confrontations between troops enforcing an around-the-clock curfew and mobs of militants defying the curfew. ``The attack makes it clear that the terrorists want to make targets of anyone who is associated with the Indian government,'' said a police official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The air force officers were waiting for a bus to take them to the Srinagar airport when they were attacked by assailants who drove up in a car, the police official said. Three of the officers were killed on the spot in repeated bursts of fire from automatic rifles and at least four others were wounded, two of them seriously, he said. One of the wounded died at a hospital. A woman and a child walking by were also hurt, the official said. Witnesses said they saw at least five bodies being carried away after the shooting. Hundreds of troops and paramilitary police have been deployed to halt the violence in Srinagar, famous for its lakes and tourist resorts. Troops and the militants exchanged gunfire at four places in the city during a four-hour curfew relaxation which began at 5 a.m. today, police said. No deaths were reported although one para-military policeman was wounded, police said. Under the curfew imposed Saturday, people have been ordered to stay indoors except for brief periods when the ban is lifted to enable people to shop. Islamic militants are demanding either independence for predominantly Moslem Kashmir or union with neighboring Islamic Pakistan. Kashmir forms the northern part of Jammu-Kashmir state and Srinagar is the summer capital. The Jammu region, which lies south of Kashmir, is predominantly Hindu. Claimed by India and Pakistan, Kashmir was divided into Indian and Pakistani sectors by a cease-fire line that is monitored by U.N. military observers. The dispute over the territory, which has led to two wars, began after India and Pakistan were partitioned on gaining independence from Britain in 1947. India has often accused Pakistan of aiding Kashmiri militants, and Pakistan has routinely denied the charge. About 64 percent of Jammu-Kashmir's 5 million people are Moslems. Nationwide, Moslems comprise 12 percent of India's 880 million people and Hindus make up 82 percent.
