Two rebels killed in Kashmir firefight

SRINAGAR AFP July3, 2017   
Two suspected rebels were killed and a civilian was critically wounded in a shootout with government forces in Indian Kashmir on Monday, police said, as tensions in the disputed territory ran high.

  
A police officer was also critically wounded in a separate incident in the Indian-administered part of the disputed Himalayan region, which has seen a spike in violence in recent months.   

The two militants died in a firefight with soldiers and special police counterinsurgency forces who had cordoned off a neighbourhood in the south of the region early Monday.   

Hundreds of villagers poured out onto the streets to try to help the trapped rebels escape, many throwing stones and shouting slogans against Indian rule.   

One was injured when government forces fired into the crowd.