Five LeT militants killed in encounter

Five militants were killed in two separate encounters in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Wednesday.

A senior police officer said troops of counter insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and special operations group of the state police surrounded Laribal village and its adjoining forest area early on Wednesday.

"The holed up militants of Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit were challenged to surrender but they opened fire, triggering a gunfight at the end of which five militants were killed," said the officer.

He said while two militants were killed inside a house, three others were gunned down by the security forces in the forest area. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

However, it was not immediately known whether the group of militants had infiltrated recently into the area from across the Line of Control or were part of the LeT group existing in the area.