4 Indian soldiers are killed in a gunfight with suspected rebels in disputed Kashmir

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Indian military says four of its soldiers were killed in a gunfight with suspected rebels fighting against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir. The soldiers were killed when they were fired at by militants hiding in the forests of southern Doda district in Jammu division late Monday. The attack was the latest in a flurry of violence in the region. Last week, five soldiers were killed in the nearby Kathua district when suspected rebels ambushed an army vehicle. In June, nine people were killed when suspected militants fired at a bus carrying Hindu pilgrims. Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for Indian-controlled Kashmir’s independence or merger with neighboring Pakistan.