Indian troops kill 9 rebels in Kashmir

Eight of the militants were killed in two bloody clashes in the southern district of Doda overnight, a police spokesman said.

He said five of the militants were gunned down by counter-insurgency police at a remote village, which seemed to be a rebel training camp.

A police officer said it took police two days to reach the village of Sui Patyala on foot to launch the operation.

"A large quanity of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the encounter site," the officer said.

Separately, Indian troops overnight gunned down three militants in the same district during a hunt for rebels who had ambushed and killed two soldiers early Thursday, police said.

"The eight slain (rebels) belonged to Hizbul Mujahedin and hardline Lashkar-e-Taiba militant groups," the spokesman said.