2 anti India rebels, civilian killed during Kashmir fighting

SRINAGAR, India — Police and locals say a civilian has been killed during anti-India protests in disputed Kashmir following a gunbattle that killed two rebels.

Top police officer Muneer Ahmed Khan says Indian troops cordoned off southern Litter village on a tip that militants were hiding in a civilian home.

Muneer says the militants tried to escape from the security cordon while firing their guns but soldiers gunned down them during a brief gunbattle.

As the fighting raged, anti-India protests erupted in Litter and neighbouring villages, leading to clashes between rock-throwing residents and government forces who fired shotgun pellets and tear gas.

Many were reported injured in the clashes while a young man who was hit by bullets died in a hospital.

Rebels have been fighting against Indian rule since 1989.