Two suspected rebels killed in gunfight with authorities in Kashmir

January 10, 2010 Two suspected rebels in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir were killed on Friday, after a shootout with government forces.

The gun battle occurred in the village of Khrew, located twenty kilometres (twelve miles) from Srinagar, the largest city in Indian Kashmir, according to senior police official Farooq Ahmed. None of the government soldiers were reported to have been killed; the Xinhua news agency, however, said there were unconfirmed reports that one of them had been wounded.

The clashes began when security forces cordoned off a house in the morning, after being tipped off that suspected rebels were living there.

"The encounter has ended in the village. Two militants have been killed during the gun battle but one JCO [Junior Commissioned Officer] has also sustained injuries in the operation," said Lieutenant Colonel Biplab Nath, a government defense spokesman.