Indian troops kill top rebel commander in disputed Kashmir region

Indian police men rush towards their armoured vehicle near the site of a gun battle on the outskirts of Srinagar (Dar Yasin/AP)

Indian government forces killed a top rebel commander in Kashmir during a gun battle in the disputed region’s main city, police said, calling it a major success against the rebels’ long fight against Indian rule.

The dead commander, Saifullah Mir, was the chief of operations of the region’s largest rebel group, Hizbul Mujahideen, which has spearheaded an armed rebellion against Indian rule for decades.