Colonel, LeT commander killed, 21 surrender, hideout busted in J

Srinagar, Dec 23 (UNI) A senior Army officer and a top commander of Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed and three soldiers wounded in a fierce encounter in north Kashmir district of Baramulla today, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

Elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, ten militants and their 11 family members surrendered along with arms and ammunition and an under ground hideout was busted during the last 24 hours.

Another encounter ensued between a joint search party of 22 Rashitriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and militants at Dangerpora, Sopore, about 55 km from here this afternoon.

Further details are awaited, official sources said.

Troops of 29 Rashitriya Rifles (RR) this morning launched a search operation after receiving a specific information that a group of militants were hiding in some houses at a village Behrampora near Pattan, about 27 km from here, a defence ministry spokesman said.

He said Troops, led by the Commanding Officer Colonel G S Sarna, immediately rushed to the area and sealed all exit points. However, when the troops were about to storm a particular house, militants, hiding inside, opened indiscriminate firing. Troops also retaliated and in the encounter, the Commanding Officer received bullet wounds in the abdomen.

He was immediately admitted to a hospital in critical condition, where he died, the spokesman added.

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