Srinagar, Mar 27: Nine militants, including the district commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), were killed in separate encounters across the state on Saturday, police and reports said.
“Five militants were killed by troops in Keran Sector in Kupwara district this morning,” army’s Srinagar based spokesman, Lt Col J S Brar told Greater Kashmir.
“In the ongoing operation in Keran sector a total of eight militants have been killed till date. Two militants were killed on Wednesday while one more was killed yesterday,” the spokesman said.
“The operation is still in progress. The area is high altitude with dense vegetation and 12–15 feet of residual snow. The identity of the slain militants is yet to be ascertained,” he added.

KISHTWAR GUNFIGHT
Two militants, including LeT’s district commander, were killed in Jammu’s Kishtwar district, police said.
A joint party of police and army cordoned off Chirji area, around 25 kilometers from the district headquarter Kishtwar, this morning and launched searches. “Militants present there opened fire on the search party which was retaliated triggering a gun battle in which two militants were killed,” Superintendent of Police Kishtwar, Dr Haseeb Mughal, said.
He identified the slain militants as Neyamat-ulla alias Saifullah, district commander of LeT, and Nissar Ahmed son of Ghulam Nabi of Kuchal, both residents of Kishtwar.

RAJOURI ENCOUNTER
In yet another gun battle two militants were killed in Jammu’s Rajouri district, officials said.
“A joint party of police and troops of 36 Rashtriya Rifles cordoned of Baji Morh area in Kalakote this morning. Militants present there resorted to indiscriminate firing and tried to break the cordon. However, troops retaliated and engaged them in a gunfight which lasted for more than four hours,” they added.
The slain militants were identified as Abu Asama and Abu Sarab of LeT. “At least four militants managed to flee from the spot. Searches are on to track the militants,” officials said.

JCO ENDS LIFE
 Meanwhile, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of army allegedly committed a suicide by hanging himself with a ceiling fan at Rajouri near Mendhar today, police said.
 It identified deceased as Naib Subedar V Naidu, son of Ramia Naidu of Andhra Pradesh of Signals Regiment.

(With Umer Maqbool in Varmul, Sheikh Nasir in Kishtwar and Shafiq Mir in Rajouri)

Lastupdate on : Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST