2 suspected rebels killed in J&K clashes

Two suspected rebels were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir during a firefight, police said yesterday, the latest clash between militants and security forces in the disputed territory during ongoing national elections. The gun battle erupted late Thursday in the northern town of Sopore when police and soldiers cordoned off an area after receiving a tipoff about the presence of armed militants. A police officer told AFP that bodies of two militants had been at the site of the clash, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media. Two soldiers and a civilian also received bullet injuries, the officer added. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both claiming the high-altitude territory in full but administering separate portions of it. Rebel groups have waged an insurgency in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989, demanding either independence or a merger with Pakistan. The conflict has left tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and militants dead.