2 LeT militants among three killed, IED recovered in Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 13 (UNI) Three people, including two militants of Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashker-e- Toiba (LeT), were killed and a plan by ultras to cause blast ahead of Republic Day was foiled by the security forces in the Kashmir valley, official sources said today.

They said a joint search operation was conducted by Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and 14 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) at Sumbler in Bandipora in north Kashmir district of Baramulla early this morning.

However, when the security forces were about to storm a particular house, they came under heavy fire from militants hiding there. The fire was returned, and in the fierce clash, two militants and a civilian Bashir Ahmad Lone were killed.

Two AK rifles, six magazines and 223 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

Sources said in another joint operation, security forces recovered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from the house of one Ali Mohammad Tantray at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara.

They said militants were planning to detonate the IED ahead of Republic Day to target security forces and cause panic.

UNI