(KONS) Four militants died fighting Indian soldiers in an overnight gunbattle in Bandipur and Kupwara while two civilians were killed in a mystery grenade attack in Shopian district, police said today.Police said a fierce gunbattle broke out between militants and joint party of police and army in Bandipur late Tuesday.
A police spokesman said that gunbattle erupted soon after army soldiers assisted by Special Operations Group of J&K police launched a joint operation in village Aragam last evening. Two militants were trapped in the cordon, police sources said adding that besieging troops ordered them to surrender. Trapped militants however opened fire on the soldiers from the house they were sheltering resulting in a fierce encounter.
The operation was halted late in the night but the battle resumed at the break of dawn today, " police said.
The intermittent firing was on throughout the night. Both the militants were killed after troops blasted the house with mortars this afternoon. Police said the slain militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba. One of them has been identified as Abu Abdullah alias Mohammad Salim of Pakistan's Chubra district.
Two AK rifles, eight magazines and Rs 2,700 were recovered from the possession of the slain militants, the spokesman said adding police has registered a case.
An army spokesman said that the slain militants were planning to kill a local MLA, Usman Majeed and their timely army action foiled the militant plan. Usman, a former militant turned counter insurgent, is a member of state legislative assembly and has survived number of assassination attempts in the past.
Meanwhile, army assisted by SOG also shot dead two unidentified militants during a gunbattle in Pethwoodar village in Kupwara district today. A police spokesman said search operation was on till the reports last came in.
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.