Two Lashkar militants killed in Kashmir encounter

Srinagar, Nov 26 (UNI) Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, including one from Pakistan, were killed and a Special Police Officer (SPO) was wounded in a seven-hour-long gun-battle near Pampore in south Kashmir today, police said.

They said personnel of the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police and 50 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), on a specific information, launched a joint operation at Neij village in Pampore area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir at around 1300 hrs.

As the security forces zeroed - in on a particular house in the village, police said, they came under heavy fire from militants holed up inside.

The fire was retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, two Lashkar militants were killed, they added. They have been identified as Bilal Ahmed alias Abu Humaira, a resident of Wuyan in Pampore area, and Saifullah from Pakistan.

An SPO also sustained wounds in the exchange of fire, police said, adding two AK-47 rifles and some ammunition were seized from the slain ultras.

Police said the house of Mohammad Sultan Khanday was also damaged in the gun-battle which came to an end at around 2000 hrs.

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