Seven guerrillas, policeman killed in Kashmir gunfights

Three militants and a policeman were killed in a day-long gunfight on Sunday between security forces and guerrillas in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, while four militants were killed in Kupwara as the army foiled an infiltration bid, the state police said.

The police said the militants in Poonch were killed when in the evening, army commandos stormed the under-construction mini secretariat building in Poonch town from where militants were firing.

Earlier, a policeman was killed while a sub-inspector and a civilian were injured in the firing exchanges which began in the morning.

"Army commandos had launched the final assault against the holed up militants today evening," said a senior police official, adding militants started firing from the under-construction state mini secretariat building near the headquarters of Brigade in Poonch town in the morning after which all escape routes for the militants were sealed.

In Kupwara, a gunfight broke out in Nowgam sector of the Line of Control (LoC) as soldiers detected and challenged a group of infiltrating militants. The infiltration bid was foiled and the engagement ended with four killed, said a police officer.

In Bandipora, another gunfight started on Sunday morning near the LoC in Gurez sector. Police sources said militants attempted to infiltrate into the Indian side of the LoC from Pakistan, but timely action by the army had forced them to withdraw.

--IANS

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