SRINAGAR: Indian troops shot dead two separatist militants on Thursday in a fierce nine-hour firefight on outskirts of Kashmir's main city, where popular protests against Indian rule have mounted in recent months.
It was the fourth such clash in the disputed Himalayan region in a week and comes amid fears of an escalation in rebel violence after a period of relative decline.
The spike in violence, security agencies suspect, may also signal a new rebel strategy to back popular street protests with increased militant attacks on Indian forces that they accuse of trying to put down the demonstrations with a heavy hand.
Police evacuated hundreds of residents immediately after a firefight erupted between troops and three members of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad militant group in a populated area on outskirts of Srinagar, Himalayan region's summer