Jawan, militant killed; JEM hideout busted in Kashmir

SRINAGAR: A militant and a soldier were killed in a gunfight that erupted on Tuesday morning in south Kashmir’ s Ku lg am district, while a militant hide out was busted in Pulwa ma district following another encounter.

Deputy inspector general of police SP Pani said the gunfight in Now bug Ku nd area of Ku lg am ended with the death sofa soldier and a militant. A policeman was injured but stable.

The gunfight erupted after police, army’s Rashtriya Rifles and CR PF launched a cord on and search operation (CASO) in the area. “The firing stopped in Kulgam in the morning itself but we are still searching the area, ”Pani said late in the evening.

Pani said the identity of the slain militant was being ascertained. “He seems to be a Hizbul Muja hide en operative but we can confirm his identity once his family identifies the body ,” he said, suggesting that the militant was a local. Police control room, Kulgam, informed that the soldier belonged to 10 Sikh-LI regiment.

Meanwhile, the encounter between security forces and militants which started in La an Tral area of Pulwama ended with the busting of a militant hideout.

“A huge hide out of Jai sh-e-Moham mad outfit was busted in Tral,” Pani said.

The encounter sin south Kashmir came after two local Hizbul militants were killed when they attacked a police checkpoint in Handwara on Monday night.