Srinagar - Indian troops shot dead 17 Muslim rebels in separate encounters in Kashmir, as two civilians and two soldiers were also killed in unabated violence in the disputed Himalayan state, police said yesterday.
More than 25,000 people have been killed in Kashmir since 1989, when a separatist campaign erupted. India accuses neighbouring Pakistan, which administers part of the disputed province, of fomenting militancy in its territory. Islamabad denies the charge.