Fierce gun battles between Indian soldiers and separatist rebels Saturday in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir killed nine insurgents, the army said. Five rebels were killed in a shootout in the Keran area, said Lt. Col. J.S. Brar, an Indian army spokesman. Four more militants were killed in two other gun battles in the region, said Lt. Col. Biplab Nath, another spokesman. Brar was quoted as saying by the Associated Press that three more rebels were killed in the mountains near Keran over the past three days. Both officers said the army did not suffer any casualties in the fighting.
