50-hour-long operation ends in Kashmir, two killed in Jammu

Srinagar, Dec 25 (UNI) A 50-hour-long operation in North Kashmir ended today after both the holed up militants of Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed.

An army Colonel was killed and three other soldiers were wounded in the encounter.

Elsewhere in the state two persons were killed while security forces unearthed a hideout and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition overnight.

A defence ministry spokesman told UNI there was no firing when the troops resumed search operations this morning in village Chak Behrampora, Tilgam near Pattan in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.

Search in the area was suspended last night due to darkness.

However, the cordon around the entire area was further tightened to foil any attempt by holed-up militants to escape.

The gunfight, between militants and troops of 29 Rashitriya Rifles (RR), commenced at 1000 hours on Saturday during a search operation.

Commanding Officer Colonel G S Sarna and two LeT militants, including ''self-styed District Commander,'' Pattan Abu Tahir were killed in the gunfight, in which six houses were also damaged.

Locals allege security forces fired rockets during the encounter.

The bodies of the two militants were recovered yesterday from the debris of a damaged house. The body of Colonel G S Sarna was airlifted to Delhi yesterday.

Two security personnel and a boy, Aqib Nazir, a resident of Kreeri, sustained wounds in the leg. They were hospitalised.

MORE UNI BAS PA VV1807