Five militants killed in Kashmir

Even as three militants were killed following a failed infiltration attempt on the Line of Control in north Kashmir’s Nowgam sector on Saturday, two others were killed in an overnight gun-battle on Friday in Pulwama district.

While as three militants have died in a failed infiltration attempt on the LoC in Nowgam sector on Saturday, the overnight gunbattle in Pulwama district of south Kashmir had ended with the death of two militants.

Mohammad Ashraf Rather, described as Hizbul Mujahideen's "district commander" has been killed in the fierce gunfight at Mandena village of Pulwama, sources said. As reported, he had hot trapped in the joint operation of Police and Army even as his accomplice and Hizbul Mujahideen's "divisional commander" Sajjad Yousuf Mit had died in the encounter on Friday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police south Kashmir Vijay Kumar, who supervised the operation alongwith the army's Sector Commander, told

The Hindu that both the militants killed in the 24-hour-long gunbattle were involved in a number of civilian killings as they had targeted civilians, released militants and Special Police Officers. A number of murder cases, he said, were registered against the duo. He said that the operation concluded late on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, authoritative sources said that three unidentified militants got killed when they made an unsuccessful attempt of infiltrating into the Valley from Nowgam sector of north Kashmir. Two soldiers, including a Brigadier has sustained minor injuries in the small arms fire from Pakistani troops in the same area of Nowgam sector last week.