An Indian soldier was killed in Jammau and Kashmir  (J&K) yesterday, the army said, as troops battled gunmen in the disputed Muslim-majority territory.

The army said an operation had been mounted "based on specific intelligence" about the presence of suspected rebels in Kishtwar where gunmen last week shot dead two village defence guards.

The gunmen were from "the same group" behind the killing of the village defence guards. On Saturday evening the army killed a suspected rebel in a separate gunfight.