Militant and soldier killed in South Kashmir encounter

Kulgam, Nov 14: In a fierce gun battle between government forces and militants in Nowbug Kund area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, a militant and a soldier were killed while a cop associated with Special Operation Group sustained injuries.
A police official said that Nowbug Kund area in Qazigund was cordoned off after receiving information about the presence of militants in the area. The militants fired upon search party when it approached towards a house triggering encounter.
The official said that militants managed to change their positions from time and time while government forces sealed all the exit routes.
During the fierce gun fight, a militant belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed. He added that a cop and a soldier sustained injuries. The soldier later on succumbed to their injuries.
Sources added that some of the militants managed to escape from the encounter.
A police official identified the slain militant as Muzamil Manzoor, a resident of Bardoo Yaripora Kulgam
Reports from Laam forests of Tral town of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district said that government forces busted a hideout and recovered some blankets from there.
A police official said that no exchange of fire was their between militants and the government forces. “It was a search operation during which a hideout was busted,” he told CNS.
Authorities suspended rail service in North and internet service in twin districts of Kulgam and Anantnag.
A Railway official said that rail service was suspended due to security reasons in North Kashmir where two local militants of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) were killed in an encounter with government forces on Monday evening.
However, trains continued to chug from Budgam-Srinagar to Anantnag and Qazigund to Banihal, a senior railway official said.
All trains on this route ran as per schedule, he added.
Mobile internet service was suspended in Kulgam and Anantnag.