8 militants killed in the valley

The security forces killed eight militants in Kupwara, Anantnag, in overnight operations, even as the Kashmir valley remained cut off from the rest of the country for the seventh consecutive day following landslides.

Acting on a tip-off, the security forces cordoned off the Charnar forest in the frontier district of Kupwara. When the militants opened fire with automatic weapons, the forces retaliated, killing six militants, according to a defence spokesman.

A machine gun, an AK 56-rifle, 5,000 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, four rocket launchers and three rockets were recovered from the encounter site.

The troops also killed two militants at Yamrad and Kaipora in the same district on Sunday evening.

Meanwhile, the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained closed, following landslides at several places. Hundreds of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the road.

Thousands of people are still marooned all over the valley, though water level in the Jhelum river is receding.

UNI