Two top militants killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir

[News_Editor]

Two top militants killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir

2011-04-24 20:37:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

SRINAGAR, KASHMIR (BNO NEWS) -- Two top militants of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed Sunday during an encounter with army troops in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, Press Trust of India reported.

Army troops launched an operation around 1 a.m. in a suspected hideout of militants in Ramban district and cordoned off the area. The militants hurled grenades and opened fire on the troops, resulting in a fierce gun battle which lasted several hours.

A senior Army officer said the two militants were identified as Ayaz Ahmed Malik alais 'Musa' and Farooq Ahmed Thakri alais Zulfikar Nain. Musa was involved in two dozen attacks on security forces, while Nain was the self—styled Operation Chief in an area of south Kashmir.

The troops recovered two AK—47 rifles, six magazines, 160 rounds, 10 Chinese grenades, a satellite phone, a mobile phone, a pair of binoculars and a compass.

A guerrilla war has been going on between militants and the Indian troops stationed in Muslim-majority Kashmir, which is divided into parts administered by India and Pakistan. The government says more than 45,000 people -including civilians, militants and troops - have died in the region over the past two decades.

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