2 militants die in gunbattle near Kashmir's main city

The fighting broke out early Wednesday when troops closed in on a house in which the rebels were hiding, said army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Vijay Batra.

"Our boys have killed two militants so far. The fighting is going on in the area," he said.

The gunbattle was taking place at Gandherbal, about four kilometers from the revered Hindu shrine of Kheer Bhawani where thousands of Hindus have gathered for an annual festival.

In another incident, the body of a man was found in the southern town of Pulwama late Tuesday minus his arms, police said.

"The deceased had been kidnapped by militants and later brutally killed," a police statement said.