Kashmir: Four rebels and two Indian soldiers killed

Four rebels and two Indian soldiers were killed in a fierce armed conflict in the Indian part of Kashmir, the Indian army announced today.

Army spokesman Nitin Djoshi said police and soldiers surrounded a village in north Kashmir's Kupwara region after receiving a tip-off that armed insurgents were hiding in the area.

Clashes broke out on Friday evening, and alternating firing continued throughout the past night.

The spokesman of the Indian army said that in the intense battle early this morning, two soldiers were killed, while two others were wounded.

The police stated that the bodies of the militants were spotted and that the army is currently in the process of taking them over.

The clashes are taking place near the dividing line between the parts of Kashmir controlled by India and Pakistan. Both countries claim that the entire Himalayan region belongs to them.

Tens of thousands of people have lost their lives so far in the rebellion demanding independence from India or integration with neighboring Pakistan.