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At least four Indian military troopers were killed Monday fighting militants in a fierce gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.
The gunfights broke out at inside Hafruda forests of Handwara in frontier Kupwara district, about 110 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
"Based on specific information regarding presence of some militants in the Haphruda forest of Rajwar, a joint operation was launched by the army and police yesterday evening," Col N N Joshi, a military spokesman said. "Around midnight, as the forces approached the area where the militants were reportedly hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire and in the intense encounter that ensued, four army soldiers were martyred."
Militants however have not suffered causality in the stand-off, reports said.
According to military officials, it was not known how many militants were present in the forest area.
"The area has been cordon off and searches are underway," Joshi said.
Meanwhile, a militant was gunned down in Lolab area of the district Monday morning.
On Sunday, two foreign militants were killed and a trooper wounded in a similar gunfight in the region.
A guerrilla war has been going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region. Enditem
