5 militants killed in 2 encounters in Kashmir

Five militants were killed in Kashmir on Friday in two encounters.

The police said four militants of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba were killed, after police and paramilitary forces surrounded a house in Drusoo Jagir village of the north Kashmir Baramulla district.

"The militants opened heavy automatic gunfire when confronted, triggering a sustained encounter, which ended on Friday evening with the killing of all the four holed up militants," a senior police officer said.

"The militants were hiding in a concrete underground chamber, and it was difficult to dislodge them. A strong jet of water was also used during the operation to dislodge the militants," a police spokesman said.

"The house in which the militants were hiding has also been destroyed in the gunfight, and the bodies of the four slain militants and weapons recovered from under the debris," the spokesman said.

In another gunfight between the militants and the security forces in south Kashmir Kulgam district, a top militant commander identified as Bilal Ahmad of Hizbul Mujaheedin was killed.