Security Forces kill two miltants, arrests one

Jammu, July 26: In two separate operations in Rajouri and Udhampur, the security forces killed two militants, including a district commander of Hizb-e-Islami (HeI), and arrested a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant in this region during the past 24 hours, sources said here today.

''Troops of 48 Rashtriya Rifles, in a joint operation with police, cordoned off Kulian Dhok village in Darhal district last evening, after receiving an information about the presence of two top militants in the area,'' sources added.

The militants were asked to surrender but they started firing on security personnel and also lobbed a grenade on them. After two hours of gun-battle, both the militants were eliminated.

One of the slain militant, who was allegedly a close associate of dreaded slain militant Sangar Pathan, has been identified with his code name as DJ, while the other, yet to be identified, could be Saifullah Pakistani, sources said.

In another operation, police arrested a top LeT militant from Jhajjar Kotli while he was heading towards Doda district after attending a meeting of LeT cadres in Poonch on stepping up militancy.

Police said the Lashkar militant, Mohammad Yaqoob alias Ashiq Hussain, was apprehended by a police team during a naka laid on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Also, a Pakistani youth, who crossed the border into Indian territory, was arrested by the Border Security Force (BSF) from RS Pura belt. He was identified as Mohammad Amin of Chamir village in Pakistan's Sialkote district, official sources said.

''Nothing objectionable had been recovered from his possession,'' sources added.

UNI