Two Indian soldiers among several killed in Kashmir gunbattles

Eight suspected rebels also killed as region marks fifth anniversary of the death of a popular rebel commander.

Eight suspected rebels and two Indian soldiers have been killed in a series of counterinsurgency operations in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said. Many shops were shut in parts of the disputed region to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of a popular rebel commander whose 2016 killing triggered open defiance against Indian rule. The deaths in five separate incidents starting on Wednesday came as violence in the Himalayan region has increased in recent weeks.