Three killed in gun battle in Indian Kashmir

INDIA: Two suspected Muslim rebels and a civilian died Saturday in a gunbattle with troops in insurgency-racked Indian Kashmir when militants opened fire on an army patrol, the army said.

The battle occurred in Check-e-Challan in Shopian, 55 kilometres (33 miles) south of Srinagar, capital of Indian Kashmir.

"The militants opened fire on a search party" and were killed in "retaliatory action," army spokesman A.K. Mathur told AFP, adding that the civilian died in crossfire. One of the dead rebels was a district commander of Harkakat-ul-Mujahideen, Mathur said.

The outfit is one of about a dozen insurgent outfits fighting New Delhi's rule in Kashmir. The civilian's death brought thousands of protesters onto the streets of the village, witnesses said.

Srinagar, Sunday, AFP