Two Pak Border Action Team men, 3 soldiers killed on LoC

Jammu/ Srinagar: Two heavily armed Pakistani intruders and three soldiers were killed Sunday in a gunfight after the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. The slain intruders are believed to be members of a Border Action Team (BAT) comprising Pakistan Army jawans and trained militants, an army officer said on condition of anonymity.

"At about 1.45 pm, Indian Army in Sunderbani sector had a fierce encounter with heavily armed Pakistani intruders very close to the LoC. The patrol (team) killed two intruders and recovered war-like stores including two AK-47 rifles," the spokesman said. He said that three soldiers were killed while fighting the intruders and another soldier suffered grievous injuries and has been airlifted to the Army Command hospital in Udhampur. The injured soldier's condition is reported to be stable, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, seven civilians were killed Sunday when unused explosives of three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants, gunned down in an encounter, went off in Kulgam district of South Kashmir, police said. The incident happened at Laroo village in Kulgam district, one of the worst hit by militancy in South Kashmir, Sunday morning when security forces launched a search-and-cordon operation following intelligence report about the presence of militants.