3 more militants killed in Bandipora, toll mounts to 5

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 21

Three more militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit were killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorists on Friday in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, taking the number of ultras slain to five.

Police sources said two militants were killed on Thursday in the encounter that ended today.

"Two bodies of the terrorists have been recovered with their weapons," a police officer said.

"Three terrorists were killed on Friday although we are yet to recover their bodies. But we can see the bodies." According to the officer, the five belonged to a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) group that had probably infiltrated recently into the Kashmir Valley.

The Rashtriya Rifles, the special operations group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) started a cordon and search operation in Sumlar area on Thursday.

The hiding militants fired at the security forces, triggering the encounter.

"The firing stopped on Thursday evening but there was fresh firing from surviving terrorists in the morning on Friday," a police source said. With IANS