Five terrorists killed in gunfight in north Kashmir

Five militants were killed in a 10-hour long gunfight in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Thursday.

This is the second encounter in less than a fortnight in the border district of Kupwara. Last week five militants of Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit were killed in two fierce encounters in the forest area of Zachaldara.

"Based on specific information about presence of terrorists in the area of Khurmur forests, Handwara, in the frontier Kupwara district of north Kashmir, a joint operation was launched by the Army's 21 Rashtriya Rifles and the Jammu and Kashmir police in the early morning today," Srinagar based defence spokesperson Lt Col J S Brar said.

"They were asked to surrender. However, they opened fire resulting in an intense fire fight. In the ensuing encounter, five terrorists were killed. One jawan of 21 Rashtriya Rifles was slightly injured".

"Police is ascertaining the identity of the terrorists", he added.