10-hour Kashmir gunfight ends, five guerrillas killed

Five separatist guerrillas were killed Thursday in a 10-hour gunfight between the security forces and the guerrillas in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.

Police here said troopers of the counter-insurgency 21 Rashtriya Rifles and the local police surrounded a forest area in north Kashmir Kupwara district early Thursday following information about the presence of guerrillas in the dense forests.

“Militants hiding in the Kramshoora forest of Handwara tehsil in Kupwara district were challenged to surrender by the troops of 21 Rashtriya Rifles and the state police in a joint operation today. The hiding militants opened automatic gunfire at the surrounding troops triggering a gunfight which has now ended,” an officer said at 7.15 p.m.

“Five militants have been killed in the gunfight. Their identities are being established,” the officer said.

Last week, five guerrillas belonging to the Lashkar-eTaiba (LeT) outfit were killed in two separatist gunfights in the same district.