Indian forces kill 2 militants in Kashmir

Indian officials say government troops have killed two militants in a prolonged gunbattle that also left one police officer wounded in the Indian-ruled portion of Kashmir, Fox News reported.

Senior paramilitary officer Nalin Prabhat said the gunbattle began Monday after security forces cordoned off some houses in Ratnipora village. Shooting resumed Tuesday with the militants slipping into nearby rice fields under the cover of darkness.

Also Tuesday, hundreds of young people chanting pro-independence slogans hurled stones at Indian troops in the area, injuring 26 of them, Prabhat said. The troops fired tear gas and live ammunition in the air to disperse them.

India accuses Pakistan of arming insurgents who have been fighting since 1989 for Kashmir's independence or merger with Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies.