One more militant killed in north Kashmir encounter, toll 5

Srinagar, Nov 17 (UNI) With the killing of one more militant at Gulgam in the frontier district of Kupwara, the toll in the 72-hour- long operation has risen to five, including a soldier.

One of the foreign militants, who escaped from the cordoned off area after the encounter, was overpowered by the locals and later handed over to police.

Official sources said troops gunned down one more militant at Gulgam in Kupwara district of north Kashmir today. Search for another militant was going on, they added.

Operation in the area started on November 15 evening on specific information that six militants were hiding there.

However, when the troops were sealing the area, militants opened fire. The fire was returned and in the fierce clash, three militants were killed. One soldier also lost his life and four others, including a Major, were injured. One militant, a resident of Multan was handed over to police by local residents.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Range, S M Sahai gave Rs one lakh reward to villagers for catching the militant.

A defence ministry spoksman said troops seized hi-tech equipment, including a global positioning system at Gulgam.

He said the the arms and ammunition recovered included one global positioning system, one satellite phone, one solar charger for satellite phone, one radio set, one dicta phone and many hand grenades besides personal automatic weapons.

In another incident, troops seized one grenade launcher and two grenades wrapped in a polythene bag from a graveyard in Baramulla town of north Kashmir.

UNI BAS YSS RR RK1615