Rebel violence routinely increases in the revolt-hit Muslim-majority state ahead of the annual public holiday.

But tensions in India have been heightened by warnings by Western intelligence agencies that flights of state-run Air India and other private carriers could be targeted by Islamist militant groups.

Police in the Kashmir summer capital of Srinagar said Tariq Lone, a leading rebel belonging to the pro-Pakistan militant outfit Hizbul Mujahedin, was killed late Friday in a gunbattle with troops in southern Kishtwar district.

"Lone, alias Azhar, was a wanted militant," a police spokesman said, adding security forces were engaged in two other gunbattles Saturday against militants in south Kashmir.

The fighting came as India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony warned of the likelihood of more militant attacks and infiltration bids along the Line of Control, the de facto border which divides Kashmir between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

"The attempts (by militants) to infiltrate are increasing," he told reporters in New Delhi.

However, he said India's armed forces were ready to counter any threats.

His statement came a day after India increased airport security and warned its domestic airlines about a possible hijack attempt after receiving a tip-off from Western intelligence services.

The alert said Indian flights could be targeted by Islamist groups aligned to Al-Qaeda or the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant group which opposes India's rule in Kashmir.

Kashmir had been relatively stable in recent months.

But there has been a spike in violence in the run-up to the Republic Day festivities, including a militant siege of a Srinagar hotel that resulted in the death of two militants, a policeman and a civilian bystander.

Inspector General of Police Farooq Ahmed said in Srinagar that security forces "have intensified frisking and stepped up their vigilance to keep militants at bay."

"Police are more concerned given the recent spate of militant attacks," he said.

Republic Day marks the date in 1950 when India's new republican constitution came into effect. India gained independence from Britain in 1947, but went through a transitional phase when it was still classed as a dominion.

Kashmiris have spurned the celebrations since the insurgency began two decades ago and separatists call for it to be marked as a "black day."

The insurgency has claimed more than 47,000 lives, according to an official count.

India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence over Kashmir, which is claimed by both.

Tensions have been running high between Pakistan and India in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people that New Delhi says were planned and executed by the LeT.

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