SRINAGAR, AUG 30: In a fierce encounter last night, nine Pakistani intruders, an army major and a soldier were killed as army scuttled Pakistan's bid to push heavily-armed militants into Kashmir valley, a defence ministry spokesman today said.The encounter between the intruders and the army broke out in Shamaswari range of frontier district of Kupwara early yesterday and culminated with the killing of all the nine militants who had taken shelter in the forest after managing to sneak into the valley from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir a few days back, the spokesman told PTI here.He said an army search party led by Major Sudhir Kumar Walia confronted the militants in the dense woods of Hafruda around 0800 hours yesterday and asked them to surrender. Instead, the militants opened fire on the troops and in the ensuing shootout, which lasted the whole day, all the nine militants were killed.Nine special force and allied para-commandoes in a joint `seek-and-destroy operation' sealed Hafruda forest on Saturday following information about a group of militants who had sneaked into the area from across the border through Shamaswari range a few days back.The troops continued the operation throughout the night and finally a search party led by Major Walia traced the militants yesterday. Instead of surrendering the militants opened indiscriminate fire and in the resultant shootout all the nine intruders were killed.A big cache of arms and ammunition including eight AK assault rifles, 24 magazines with 1255 rounds, four pistols, four magazines with 74 rounds, a grenade launcher attachment with 35 rifle grenades, ten hand grenades, a wireless set and a large quantity of ration and other items were seized from the deceased militants, he said.He said the operation was continuing and the identity and the group affiliation of the militants was being ascertained.Terming the operation as `major success,' the spokesman said with the killing of the militants a major attempt of Pakistan to push hardcore militants into the state with the intention to disrupt the coming parliamentary election was foiled.
