Government forces have killed five rebels during a gun battle in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, triggering violent anti-India protests in the disputed Himalayan region.
Indian troops laid a siege around a southern village in Qazigund area overnight on a tip that militants were hiding there, police said.
A fierce gun battle erupted early on Saturday, and hours later, five local Kashmiri rebels were killed.
The slain rebels belonged to the region’s largest rebel group Hizbul Mujahideen, police said.