Anti-India protests erupt in Kashmir after 4 rebels killed

Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said.

The fighting came as the region was already reeling under the deadliest bloodshed in a decade in which over 500 people have been killed. According to rights groups, they include at least 269 militants, 158 members of Indian government forces and 156 civilians.

Indian troops early Saturday surrounded a southern village in the Pulwama area on a tip that militants were hiding there, leading to an exchange of gunfire, police said. Four militants were killed, police said, adding that troops suffered no casualties.

Kashmiri villagers watch the funeral procession of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

Residents said government forces blasted one civilian house with explosives during the fighting, a common counterinsurgency tactic by Indian troops in Kashmir. At least two other houses were damaged.

The fighting sparked protests after hundreds of residents tried to march to the site of the battle in an attempt to help the militants escape. Government forces fired warning shots, shotgun pellets and tear gas at the stone-throwing protesters. At least six people were reported injured.

India and Pakistan each claim the divided territory of Kashmir in its entirety. Rebels have been fighting Indian control since 1989.

Kashmiri village women watch as men carry the body of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar during his funeral procession in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

Most Kashmiris support the rebel cause that the territory be united either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, a charge Pakistan denies. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.

Kashmiri villagers watch as vehicle carrying the body of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar arrives at his residence in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri villagers watch the funeral procession of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri villagers carry the body of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar during his funeral procession in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

Kashmiri villagers watch the funeral procession of a local rebel Muzamil Ahmed Dar in Rahmoo village south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2018. Anti-India protests and clashes erupted in disputed Kashmir on Saturday after a gunbattle between militants and government forces killed four rebels, police and residents said. (AP Photo Dar Yasin)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A's request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.

The A's were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.

That, however, has been the club's nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A's kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.

The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL's Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”

The A's relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city's Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.

A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.

In preparing for the move to Las Vegas, the A's have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract Dec. 30 at the A's Experience Center in Las Vegas.

The A's acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Dec. 22.

Going back to last offseason, the A's also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.

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FILE - Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom sprints towards first after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sept. 23, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)