4 LeT terrorists, 3 troopers killed in JK gunfight

Four top Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists and three troopers were killed after a fierce two-day gun battle in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Acting on a tip-off, army troops and police had launched a cordon and search operation in Planakanthol-Lambibari forests in Kandi Bhudal belt of Rajouri district on Tuesday, Senior Superintendent of Police Shafkat Watalie told PTI.

During search operation of the area, where four-five terrorists were hiding, army and police came under heavy fire and retaliated, sparking a fierce gun battle.

In the encounter that ended on Wednesday, four terrorists -- identified as Abu Kital, Abu Suhab, Abu Abdullah and Chhota Osama (all Pakistanis) were killed.

Watalie added that four AK rifles, magazines, grenades, pistols, a satellite phone, a GPS device, geo-satellite maps of Jammu and Kashmir, besides Pakistan-made

edible and electronic items were recovered from them.

"The items recovered from them point toward the deep involvement of a section of Pakistani establishment in facilitating infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

The slain jawans have been identified as Havaldar S Singh, Naik Sher Khan and Sepoy Ram Prasad. Station House Officer (SHO) of Dharamshal police station Showkat Ali was injured and has been evacuated to a hospital.

The terrorists were part of a group, which infiltrated from Pallanwala along the Line of Control in Aknoor tehsil of Jammu district a few days back, the SSP said.

He said two terrorists of that group were killed on Saturday while four were killed on Tuesday. Three to four other terrorists are still being tracked by the police in Dharamshal area of Rajouri district.