Four militants, Colonel among five killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 24 (UNI) Four top militants, two of them Pakistani nationals, and a senior Army officer were killed and six others, including five security personnel, wounded in two separate encounters in Kashmir today, an official spokesman said.

Elsewhere in the Valley, he said militants shot dead a civilian while three ultras surrendered near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector last evening.

Two top Pakistani militants of Al Mansoorian, including the outfit's Chief Operations, were killed while three security personnel wounded in more than 24-hour-long gun-battle at Hatam mohalla in Dangerpora village of Sopore area in Baramulla district.

The gunfight, which erupted between militants and personnel of 22 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Special Operation Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police last evening, resumed early this morning.

During the gun-battle, two Al Mansoorian militants -- Chief Operations Osama Pahalwan and District Commander Abu Usma alias Saad Bhai were killed, the spokesman said.

Three security personnel were also wounded in the gunfight. Two AK rifles and six magazines were seized from the encounter site, he said, adding two houses also got damaged during the fire-fight.

Pahalwan, a wanted ultra in the area, was involved in several militancy-related incidents, including the firing on an Army convoy at Sopore on Friday in which two civilians were killed and seven others, including four security personnel, wounded.

Protests erupted in Sopore soon after security forces handed over the bodies of the two slain Pakistani militants for burial.

The spokesman said two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, one of them a top commander, and a senior Army officer were killed and three others, including two soldiers, wounded in the more than 32-hour-long gun-battle so far.

The gunfight between militants and 29 RR troops resumed this morning after it was suspended last night at Behrampora Tilgam village in Pattan area, about 27 km from here.

The spokesman said two Let militants, one of them a district commander, have been killed so far in the encounter.

The bodies of the militants were recovered this morning from the debris of a house in which they had taken refuge. Their identity was being ascertained. The gunfight was on when reports last came in.

The encounter erupted following specific information yesterday morning that a group of militants were hiding in some houses in the village. The troops, led by 29 RR Commanding Officer Colonel G S Sarna, immediately rushed to the area and sealed all exit points.

However, when they were about to storm a particular house, militants, hiding inside, opened fire on them.

Troops also retaliated and in the ensuing gun-battle, Col Sarna received bullet wounds in the abdomen. He was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed to wounds, the spokesman added.

The spokesman said militants shot dead a civilian, Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Bhat, at Shooch Palapora near Pattan today.

Three militants surrendered before security forces on the LoC in the Uri sector of Baramulla district along with an AK rifle, five AK rounds, two pistols, one magazine and 10 pistol rounds last evening.

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