Four LeT militants killed in J&K

Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants and a CRPF jawan were killed and three security men injured in two separate encounters in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.

Two LeT militants and a CRPF jawan were killed and two policemen and a CRPF personnel injured in a five-hour long gunbattle in Chaterhama-Burzahama area on the Srinagar -Ganderbal road, a spokesman said.

The encounter started around 9 a.m. when a joint search party of 137th battalion of the CRPF and the local police was fired upon by militants hiding in a house in the locality, CRPF spokesman P. Tripathy told PTI. The CRPF jawan who was killed was identified as K.C. Sahu, a resident of Orissa. Jawan G.K. Sharma suffered a bullet injury on his shoulder and was admitted to a hospital.

In another operation, two LeT militants were killed in a gun battle at Nariwan village in Shopian district, Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Muneer Khan said.

Following a tip-off, police and Army personnel cordoned off the area. When they came under fire from hiding militants, they resorted to retaliatory action. Two militants were killed and two weapons were recovered from their possession, Mr. Khan said.

A spokesman said a police vehicle and a house where militants took shelter were damaged in the gun battle. The house belonged to Mohammad Ismail Rather, whose family was evacuated before the gun battle, he said.

In another operation, the spokesman said security forces recovered a pistol with a magazine, two AK magazines, 23 rounds, a wireless set, six small antennas and 13 detonators during combing operations at Losgha forests in Manjakote area of Rajouri district on Saturday evening.