NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

2 LeT Militants Killed in Kashmir Gunfight

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar, Aug 22: Two militants owing allegiance to the Pakistan based militant group, Lashkar-eToiba, were killed in a fierce gunfight with soldiers in restive Kashmir on Saturday.

A police officer said on specific intelligence inputs, the Indian army and police laid siege around village Roshanpora Douzpora, Kupwara in North Kashmir Kupwara in the wee hours on Saturday. "While the soldiers were conducting searches, they spotted the militants near a forest area. They were asked to surrender. They, however, turned down the offer and fired from automatic weapons. The fire was returned and in the ensuing gunfight, which lasted for over three hours, two militants were killed. Two AK 47 rifles and some ammunition was recovered from the encounter site," he said.

Without identifying the slain militants, the police officer said that belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba.

"It has been found that the slain militants had gone in the area to receive the militants of infiltrating groups who recently sneaked into Kashmir," the official said, adding, "The slain militants were active in the area from quite a long time and knew the topography well."

After the gunbattle, additional soldiers were rushed to the area to launch combing and search operation to flush out the militants, who might have escaped during the course of gunfight.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.