Four militants, jawan killed in encounter in Kupwara district of Kashmir

SRINAGAR: In the second success in two days, army today killed four militants in an overnight encounter in a forest area of Handwara, about 95 kms from here, while losing one soldier.

Security forces received information last night about presence of a group of militants in the forest area of Sochalyari in Kupwara district in north Kashmir and an operation was launched to hunt them, a police official said.

A gunfight between the militants and army ensued and it continued through the night till the wee hours of today, the official said.

Four unidentified militants were killed in the encounter in which an Army jawan also lost his life, the official said.

He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain militants was being ascertained.

This is second success for the security forces against militants in north Kashmir in two days.

Yesterday, the army gunned down a militant believed to be responsible for a number of recent killings and targeting of mobile installations Rafiabad area of Baramulla district. An armyman also lost his life in that encounter.

The militant killed yesterday was Riyaz Ahmad, a resident of Brath Kalan in Sopore area, and was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Islam (LeI), a breakaway group of Hizbul Mujahideen.

"He was involved in a number of killings in Sopore and adjoining areas. He was also involved in threatening and terrorizing the landlords of mobile towers and mobile franchise owners," the spokesman said.

He said the slain militant was involved in the killing of a BSNL franchise employee in June. Two other employees were injured in this incident.