2 Indian Soldiers Killed in Kashmir Gunfight

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, May 13: Two Indian para-military soldiers were killed in an attack by militants in Kashmir on Tuesday evening.

Police sources said that a heavily armed group of militants fired from sophisticated weapons towards para-military soldiers at the Podder and Kellar forest area in Shopian in South Kashmir, Tuesday evening. Two para-military soldiers identified as Mohammad Rafique and Asif Ali were killed in the militant attack.

After the attack, Indian army, para-military and police personnel laid siege around the area to flush out the militants responsible for the attack.

No militant group has owned the attack so far, but police officials blame Hizbul Mujahideen for the ambush.

Meanwhile, Indian army personnel armed with the latest weapons procured from Israel launched a combing operation in the forest area at Zanpathri, Kellar. "The combing operation was launched on specific information about the presence of militants and was going on when reports last poured in", police sources said.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.

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