Indian police kill 2 militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Two militants belonging to Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) outfit were killed Sunday in a gunfight with police in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The gunfight broke out at village Padgampora in Pulwama district, 29 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"Two militants of HM were killed today in a brief gunfight with police in Padgampora village here" a senior police official Syed Javaid Mujtaba Gillani told media in Awantipora.

According to Gillani, the policemen inside the vehicle were returning to Awantipora after attending a meeting at Pulwama town.

"Militants travelling in a private car fired upon a police vehicle, prompting policemen to retaliate the fire and in the process two militants were gunned down." Gillani said.

"We have recovered two bodies from the car and the police officials present there think one of the militants might have escaped."

Police said they have not suffered any damage in the gunfight.

The slain militants have been identified as local cadres of HM, the region's indigenous militant outfit.

Police said they have recovered two assault rifles belonging to militants from the car militants were travelling in.

Following the killing of militants, clashes erupted between locals and government forces at several places in Pulwama. Locals said police and paramilitary troopers fired dozens of tear smoke shells to disperse people who had gathered on roads to protest militant killings. The protesters were throwing stones and brickbats on government forces.

Meanwhile, the bodies of slain militants were handed over to their families.

On Thursday, militants fired upon police vehicles in adjacent Shopian district.

Last week, three militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit and a girl were killed, while as a policeman and a boy wounded in a gunfight in the region.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989. However, of late Indian policemen too have been trained to fight them.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan is claimed by both in full. Since their Independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir.

Source: Xinhua