After 14-hour encounter, 13 militants shot dead

In another incident in the frontier district of Kupwara, two militants, who tried to sneak into an Army camp in the early hours today, were shot dead by troops, official sources said. The heavily-armed militants came around 4 am and tried to storm 7 Sector Rashtriya Rifles at Drugmulla, six km from Kupwara, but were killed by the troops.

Official sources said the militants killed in the Bharath forests included top commanders of Jaish-e-Mohammad, Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Al-Badr and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. Sources said the militants were holding a meeting of the Jehad Council in which ‘‘important’’ decisions to step up militancy in Doda district were to be taken. But Army troops, on receiving information of the presence of the militants, swooped on the Bharath forests. All routes leading out of the forest were plugged by the troops. While combing operations were on, the militants hiding in the Bharath nullah opened heavy fire and hurled grenades.

The troops returned fire and in the exchange, which started 2 am and went on till 4 pm, 13 militants, holed up in the nullah, were shot dead. Identity details were not yet released but it is learnt all were Pakistan-based, among them some top militant commanders.