SRINAGAR, Jan 30: Indian army said its soldiers shot dead 12 freedom fighters including five Mujahideen leaders on Friday in the bloodiest gunbattles since New Delhi began peace talks with Kashmiri leaders.

A civilian was also killed in a separate incident. "We have killed 10 foreign terrorists...there are five important leaders, four are district commanders (of Lashakr-i-Taiba)," Brigadier A.K. Gupta, a senior Indian army officer told reporters.

The two gunbattles took place in Kupwara and Baramulla districts. Brig Gupta said the fifth was the leader of a suicide group. Rebel violence has continued in the Himalayan region despite recent peace efforts by India and Pakistan. Elsewhere two Kashmiri fighters and a civilian were killed in separate shootouts in the region, an army spokesman said.-Reuters