SRINAGAR, Aug 7 (1999): At least 18 people, including five Indian soldiers and nine separatist guerrillas, have been killed in separate shootouts in the troubled Himalayan region of Kashmir, police said on Saturday.

“Today an encounter between militants and security forces took place at Rajwar in which so far seven militants have been killed. Besides, two security force jawans (soldiers) lost their lives,” police said in a statement.

Rajwar is in Kupwara district, 87 km (54 miles) northwest of Srinagar, the summer capital of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state.

Earlier, separatist guerrillas attacked an army vehicle in Keegam in the same district killing three soldiers, police said.

“Colonel Balbir Singh and two soldiers were killed when militants attacked their vehicle near Keegam,” a police official said.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Friday evening Indian soldiers killed two militants in a gunbattle in the Gandoh area of Dodad district, 350 km (217 miles) southeast of Srinagar, the statement said.

Suspected separatist guerrillas shot dead a civilian in the same district, police said.
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