Indian officials report three soldiers and one Islamic militant have been killed in a gun battle in Indian Kashmir. An army spokesman says the fighting erupted Saturday when Indian troops raided the village of Ajar, north of Indian Kashmir's summer capital of Srinagar. Indian officials have said melting snow has opened mountain passes along the zone of control in Kashmir, contributing to what they describe as a sudden spurt in rebel infiltrations. Muslim rebels in Indian Kashmir have been fighting since 1989 for the divided region's independence or its merger with Pakistan. The insurgency has claimed tens of thousands of lives.