| Indian soldiers shot and killed 15 Muslim rebels in separate gunbattles across Kashmir on Saturday, police and border security officials said. They said this was the highest number of rebels killed in a single day in the past few months as troops stepped up their offensive against armed separatists fighting New Delhi's rule over the disputed Himalayan region. "It's been a bloody day," said an Indian Border Security Force officer who did not want to be named. Five militants were killed in forests near the Pakistani border south of Srinagar, Indian Kashmir's main city. Another 10 guerrillas were shot dead in different gunbattles across the region, police said. Two villagers were also killed in southern Kashmir when suspected insurgents barged into their house and opened fire. |