Four militants among six killed, five injured in J

Srinagar, Mar 5 (UNI) Four militants, including two belonging to Pakistan based Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT), who were holed up in a house, were among six people killed and five others injured in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

Official sources said troops of 10 PARA regiment, 23 Punjab and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir launched a joint operation at village Ahragam, Bandipora, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, following a tip-off about the presence of militants there.

As the troops were sealing the area, the militants opened fire and entered the house.

Later, the troops tightened cordon around a particular house and rescued other residents.

They said intermittent firing by militants was continuing throughout the night. Security forces also retaliated and killed both the militants. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

Meanwhile, a defence spokesman said troops of 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unearthed a hideout at Chgak Watu, Kulgam, in south Kashmir and recovered one AK rifle, one magazine, eight rounds of ammunition and two wireless sets.

However, no one was arrested, he added.

An official spokesman said two more militants were killed at Pethwudar Handwara in a fierce encounter during a search operation.

Two people, including a 65-year-old woman Jana, were killed and five others injured in a blast in south Kashmir, a police spokesman said.

He said a blast took place in the house of one Abdul Hamid Nengroo at Reshi Nagri, Shopian, in south Kashmir last night, causing injuries to seven people.

Later, Jana alias Janti, wife of the house owner and one Bashir Ahmad Wagay died on the way to hospital.

The other injured have also been admitted to the hospital, he said.

However, he said, it was not clear immediately whether the explosive device went off inside the house or it was hurled from outside.

Earlier, the report said it was a grenade blast, hurled from outside the house.

UNI BAS YSS SR AS1951