Two militants encountered by security forces in Ganderbal district

SRINAGAR: On Sunday two militants were killed in a fierce gun battle with security forces in the forest area of Kangan in entral Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.

The body of one militant has been recovered from the site of the encounter and search is on for the other.

Acting on a tip-off, Army assisted by police launched search operation in Chattergul forests in Kangan area, 50 kms from here, on Srinagar-Leh road, the officials said.

They said contact was established with a group of militants, who opened firing on the security forces.

The security forces returned the firing, triggering off a gun battle. Two militants were killed in the encounter during which a residential house was gutted.

According to officials, only one body has been recovered while search is on for the other militant, also an AK rifle has been recovered from the spot.

Although the identity and group affiliation of the militants was not immediately known, a senior police officer said preliminary investigations have revealed that they were foreigners.

SP Ganderbal Shahid Mehraj said, “The inmates of the house where the militants were hiding told us that they were speaking a language which they could not comprehend. Probably, they were Afghans or from NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunhhwa).”