Two Sikh Separatist Leaders Reported Slain

Indian police said they killed two self-styled generals of a Sikh separatist group Saturday in a gun battle in Punjab state.

Police identified them as Gurrinder Singh and Majit Singh, who held the ranks of general and lieutenant general in the newly formed Khalistan Freedom Force. Khalistan is the name of a Sikh state wanted by the separatists. More than 900 people have been killed this year in violence related to their campaign.

They said the Sikhs fired an automatic rifle and a shotgun at a police patrol that challenged them as they were riding a motorbike near the Sikh holy city of Amritsar.