The death toll in India’s portion of Kashmir rose to 16 as clashes between Indian troops and protesters continued.

Gun battles, mine blasts and US air strikes on the day of Afghanistan’s first post-Taliban election left 38 people dead today, including three police officers escorting freshly filled ballot boxes, Afghan officials said.

Suspected rebels woke up sleeping villagers in north-eastern India and opened fire with automatic weapons, killing six of them and raising the death toll to 63 from three days of violence in a region where dozens of ethnic rebel groups are fighting for separate homelands.

Suspected Islamic militants launched a series of attacks in Indian-controlled Kashmir, injuring 46 people as the state prepared for parliamentary elections, police said.

Dozens of rain-soaked Indian passengers jostled onto a luxury bus today that honked wildly as it headed for Pakistan, resuming a transportation link disrupted 18 months ago by threats of war between the hostile, nuclear-armed neighbours.