19 Militants, 4 Indian Soldiers Killed on Kashmir Frontiers

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Oct 6: At least 19 militants and four Indian soldiers including two senior officers were killed and four soldiers injured in gunfights along Kashmir frontiers with Pakistan in the past three days.

An Indian army spokesman in Srinagar, Col A K Mathur told News Blaze that 16 JAT Regiment, Indian army, noticed a group of militants trying to infiltrate into this side of Kashmir from Tanghdar sector in North Kashmir today. He said that the soldiers signaled the militants to surrender and lay-down weapons. "The militants turned down the offer and fired sophisticated weapons towards the soldiers. The fire was returned by the soldiers and in the ensuing gunfight, six infiltrating militants and two soldiers were killed", the spokesman said.

Col Mathur said that bodies of the six slain militants were recovered. "The gunfight has ended and now the soldiers are conducting combing and search operations in the area," he said. He claimed that a large quantity of arms and ammunition have been seized from the slain militants.

The spokesman further claimed that another infiltrating militant was killed in a gunfight with army personnel along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district today.

With the killing of seven infiltrating militants today in North Kashmir, at least 19 militants and 4 Indian soldiers were killed in three different gunfights on the frontiers with Pakistan during the past three days.

Three militants were killed by army personnel while trying to infiltrate into Kashmir from Tanghdar sector yesterday.

The day before yesterday, Indian army foiled a major infiltration attempt of militants to cross into Kashmir by killing 9 militants in a 31 hour long gunfight. Two army officers were also killed and four soldiers injured in the fierce gunfight.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman claimed that a militant owing allegiance to Pakistan based militant group, Al-Badar was killed in a gunfight with Indian army and Indian police in North Kashmir.

The police spokesman further said that in an encounter at Chitragam in South Kashmir yesterday, an Indian army officer was killed and three soldiers injured. The injured soldiers were hospitalized. As already reported, a top commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed in the gunfight.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.

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