Soldier, 3 Lashkar militants killed in J

Srinagar, Feb 23 (UNI) Three militants and a soldier were killed and four security personnel wounded while security forces arrested a militant in Jammu and Kashmir overnight, an official spokesman said.

He said security forces and the police launched a joint operation at Mohalla Manyal Gali in Rajouri district of Jammu region this morning following a tip off that some militants were hiding there.

He said during the operation' an encounter ensued in which two militants of the Pakistan based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed.

Three security personnel also suffered injuries during the clash.

The injured were taken to a hospital where one of them died, he added.

Two AK rifles, five magazines, 73 rounds of ammunition, one hand grenade and two mobile phones were recovered from the slain militants.

He said two police personnel were injured in an encounter with militants at Shlendhara in Poonch district last evening. However, the militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness.

He said the encounter ensued at Reshnagri, Kulgam, in south Kashmir when a security force search party was attacked by the militants. One militant of Al-badr Shakeel Ahmad was killed, he said, adding one pistol and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant.

A militant was arrested alongwith one wireless set and one hand grenade at Pinjora in Pulwama district last night.

UNI