A prominent Kashmir rebel leader recently blacklisted as a terrorist by the United States has vowed to continue his armed struggle against Indian forces in the disputed Himalayan region.

At a news conference Saturday in the Pakistan-controlled part of Kashmir, Syed Salahuddin asked the U.N. to implement its resolutions and give Kashmir's people the right to vote on independence or a merger with Pakistan.

The United States declared Salahuddin, who heads the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, a "global terrorist" on the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington last month.

India accuses Pakistan of backing Kashmir insurgents, charges denied by Islamabad.

Kashmir is divided into Indian and Pakistani-controlled zones. The two nuclear-armed South Asian rivals each claim the territory in its entirety.