Soldier killed in Kashmir gunfight

SRINAGAR - A soldier was killed in a gunfight between security forces and separatist guerrillas in north Kashmir Wednesday, a senior police officer said here.

Personnel of the counter-insurgency force Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the special operations group (SOG) of the local police surrounded the Khamil forest area in north kashmir’s Kupwara district, 120 km from here, following specific information about the presence of a group of heavily armed guerrillas there late Tuesday.

“As the security forces challenged the militants to surrender, they opened indiscriminate automatic gunfire at the surrounding troops,” the officer said.

“The fire has been returned and an encounter is on. A soldier was killed in the militant firing,” he said, adding more reinforcements have been rushed to the site to ensure that the hiding guerrillas do not escape.

–Indo-Asian New Service