8 killed in Kashmir gun battle

Eight persons,including an Army officer and five militants,were killed in Kupwara district.

Eight persons,including an Army officer and five militants,were killed in a fierce overnight gun battle in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district,officials said.

The encounter broke out at Awathkul forest area of Kralipora,130 kms from here,yesterday when police assisted by Army launched a search operation following information about presence of heavily armed militants,they said.

Intermittent firing was going till late tonight,IG (Kashmir) S M Sahai said,adding,”We have lost two boys (policemen) and an Army Lieutenant in the gun battle.”

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An army spokesman said five militants were killed in the operation so far.

He said the casualties suffered by militants could not be ascertained immediately as “it is a difficult terrain and so far we have not recovered body of any militant from the scene of the gun battle.”

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