50-hour-long operation in north Kashmir ends

Srinagar, Dec 25 (UNI) A 50-hour-long operation in north Kashmir where troops had surrounded five Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in a village seemed to be almost over, as there was no return firing today when the operation resumed.

A defence ministry spokesman told UNI that 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.

About the casualties, he said, the debris of houses damaged in the exchange of fire, were being removed. It was reported that five LeT militants, including three top commander, were hiding in the area when the search operation was launched after receiving specific information on Saturday morning.

Search in the area were 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 the search operation.

So far an Army colonel and two militants of the Pakistan based LeT, including a top commander, were killed and three soldiers wounded.

The bodies of the two militants were recovered yesterday from the debris of a damaged house. The body of Commanding Officer 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.

UNI BAS VD KN1425