By IANS,
Srinagar : Five militants were killed Monday taking the death toll to 19 in the long drawn shootout that erupted between security forces and militants Thursday in a Kashmir forested area, officials said.
A defence spokesman said four troopers injured in the shootout succumbed to their injuries Monday. Five guerrillas were killed in the gunfight raising the number of the slain militants to eleven, said Lt. Col. J.S. Brar.
The army had surrounded a group of heavily armed guerrillas in the Shamswari forests of the north Kashmir Kupwara border district Thursday following specific information about the presence of militants there.
“So far, 19 persons, including an army Major, seven troopers and eleven terrorists, have been killed in the encounter which is still on in the densely forested area,” Brar said.
An officer of 1-Para regiment of the army identified as Major Mohit Sharma of Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, and three troopers were killed till Sunday in this bloody gunfight between the army and the guerrillas.
More troops were rushed to augment the presence of the security forces in the area.