Five killed in Kashmir gunfight

SRINAGAR - Two separatist guerrillas and three securitymen were killed in a gunfight that ended Thursday morning in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, police said.

The slain guerrillas belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, a senior police officer said.

The gunfight started Wednesday evening when security forces surrounded a house in Tangmarg Watu village, about 70 km from Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar.

The security forces had surrounded the house on information about the presence of guerrillas inside. When the guerrillas were asked to surrender, they opened fire at the surrounding troops in which one trooper of the Rashtriya Rifles and two policemen were injured, the officer said, adding that this triggered the gunfight.