Five militants, soldier die in LoC gunfight; abducted civilian shot dead in Sopore

SRINAGAR: Five militants and a soldier were killed in two-day long gunfight at Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector in border district of Kupwara in Jammu and Kashmir, while a 45-year-old civilian abducted by militants was shot dead by his captors in north Kashmir on Monday.

Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia said five heavily-armed militants have been killed in the two-day Army operation along the LoC in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara.

He said the Army men deployed along the LoC had launched the operation on Sunday after detecting a group of militants trying to sneak into India.

"The militants were challenged and they fired on the Army men. In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed," Kalia said.

Additional troops were rushed to the area and they are assisting the security forces in conducting combing operation in the area. The helicopters are also assisting the troops on the ground in the operation.

An Army official said ahead of winter, Pakistani troops may attempt to push as many militants as possible into Jammu and Kashmir to create disturbances in the State during the winter months in which the infiltration routes get closed due to snowfall.