Two hardcore militants, holed up in a house, were killed in an intense 11-hour gunbattle with the security forces on Wednesday in a village in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.
The ultras, believed to be affiliated with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were killed at Kuchwa Muqam village of Chandoosa, 60 kms from Srinagar, ton Wednesday evening, Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdul Qayoom Manhas told PTI.
The residential house, where the militants had taken shelter, was damaged in the day-long encounter which started around 7 AM after police assisted by the army zeroed in on it following specific information about presence of two ultras there, he said.
Intense firing and powerful blasts rattled the village, located on Baramulla-Gulmarg road during the encounter which lasted 11 hours.
Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Shakeel Ahmad Beigh said the village was cordoned off last night and the firing started when the ultras refused to surrender.
The house where the ultras were hiding caught fire around 3 PM, shortly after a powerful blast which was reportedly triggered by the security forces to eliminate the militants, official sources said.
Fifteen minutes later, another powerful blast ripped through the house, the sources said, adding, security forces set off a third explosion at around 5 PM, razing down the structure to neutralise the ultras holed up there. PTI
