Army convoy attacked, four killed and hideout busted in J

Srinagar, July 29 (UNI) Four people, including two militants, were killed and eight others, including four army personnel, injured while security forces busted a hideout and arrested two Lashker ultras in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, an official spokesman said.

He said militants attacked an army convoy at Chursoo, Awantipora, about 30 km from here on the Srinagar- Jammu national highway today.

The army personnel were on way to Jammu, he said.

The spokesman said three soldiers received gun wounds while another was hit by a splinter. All the injured were admitted to hospital, he said adding they were out of danger.

A live grenade was found in the area which was later defused by a bomb disposal squad.

He said a massive search operation has been launched in the area to nab the militants, who escaped after the attack.

He said body of another militant was recovered from Gurez sector last evening. With this, the toll in the encounter between militants and security forces since July 26 has risen to four.

A defence spokesman said one of the militants was identified as Mohammad Hyder alias Abu Hilal, a resident of Gujranwala, Pakistan.

He said as per initial information based on electronic inputs he was an active major of Pakistan Army. However, this needs to be confirmed, he added.

The spokesman said security forces gunned down a foreign militant in an encounter at Lolab in north Kashmir last night. One AK rifle,four magzines, 120 rounds of ammunition, one hand grenade and one wireless set were recovered from the slain militant.

MORE UNI BAS AB ND2102