10 Killed in Battles With Separatists

Eight Islamic separatists and two government soldiers were killed in fierce gun battles in the northern Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, a military official said.

The violence began late Tuesday when Islamic guerrillas belonging to two Pakistani-based separatist groups opened fire on Indian army troops in a densely forested area near the border between the two countries, the official said.

Two soldiers and four guerrillas died in the fighting in Poonch, 120 miles northwest of Jammu, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Four other Islamic militants were killed in a gun battle that followed in the nearby Surankote and Thana Mandi areas, he said.