Gun battle between Army and terrorists still on in Jammu

Chinore (Jammu and Kashmir), August 27 : An encounter is on between the militants and the Army in Chinore area of Jammu and Kashmir, after the militants held hostage seven people including four kids and a couple.

The Army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Jammu and Kashmir police have been deployed in the area to fight back the terrorists and free the hostages. The Indian Air Force did an aerial surveillance of the area.

Earlier in the day, the Army gunned down one out of the three militants engaged in the encounter, who entered the house on Wednesday morning.

After that there has been no firing from the militants' side.

Rescue operations have been hampered because the area is thickly populated and the people need to be evacuated.

"I appeal the people to leave the area. Right now our target is to save the women and the kids taken hostage by the militants. Once this is achieved it would become easy for us to carry on the operation easily," said Major General D.C. Chaudhary, GOC Tiger Division.

Heavy earth moving machinery has been brought, so that the army can breakthrough the house and speed up the rescue operation.

The Army has however evacuated some neighbours who said that they too were stuck in their homes since morning because of the firing.

"I heard firing in the morning and did not dare to come out. I don't know how many are they. The army people helped us to vacate the place," said Manju, neighbour of the hostages.

The militants had entered the Mishriwala area and fired indiscriminately killing four people and injuring two security personnel early on Wednesday morning. They later escaped to Chinore area and took six people, including two children hostage.

The four people killed in the firing included three civilians and army personnel.

ANI