Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Page updated at 02:50 AM

6 rebels killed in gunbattle in Indian Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India —

The army says six rebels have been killed in a gunbattle between security forces and suspected Islamic militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Indian army spokesman Lt. Col. Anil Kumar Mathur said the rebels were killed Saturday after army and police jointly cordoned off the forest area of Lurgam village following a tip off that militants were hiding there.

Lurgam is 30 miles south of Srinagar, the summer capital of India's Jammu-Kashmir state.

Mathur said the rebels belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group.

There was no immediate comment from the rebel group.

Islamic militants are fighting for independence from mainly Hindu India or a union with Muslim-majority Pakistan which controls the other half of Kashmir.

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