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Security forces kill 13 militants in Kashmir

Security forces killed 13 militants and arrested eight others while five security jawans were injured in a mine blast in the Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said at least five jawans were injured when a bus in which they were travelling was damaged in a mine blast at Dundhak Pul around 1030 hours today. However, there was no report of any loss of life or damage to property in another mine blast at Hadi Mohalla this morning.

The spokesman said security forces immediately cordoned off the area and conducted searches during which an improvised explosive device was found in the area. He said forces averted a major tragedy when they detected and later defused a powerful improvised explosive device planted by militants at Bari Pattan last evening.

The spokesman said security forces killed four intruders immediately after they crossed over to this side from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir at Jingran sector last evening. A large cache of arms and ammunition, including 15 AK rifles with three silencers, two rockets, 15 magazines, 415 rounds, one pair of binoculars and one compass were recovered from the slain intruders.

He said the Jammu and Kashmir police Special Operation Group and security forces killed two militants each at Sabzi Darhal and Budhi during different operations. Some arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militants.

He said forces captured three militants and recovered two remote control devices, five kg of RDX, three timer devices, seven grenades and ten metres of Cordex and fuse wire during overnight operations across the valley.

Official sources said security forces, on a tip-off, conducted searches at Tarsu in the frontier district of Kupwara late last night to nab militants and their sympathisers. However, when they were busy conducting house to house search, militants fired upon them. As security men fired back, in the shootout, a militant was killed and one security jawan injured.

Sources said forces captured six militants during overnight operations in Baramulla.

A defence ministry spokesman said troops killed two militants each at Anantnag and Pulwama during two separate operations. Four AK-56 rifles one pistol, three magazines and 49 rounds were recovered from the slain militants, he said.

UNI

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