Two guerrillas, one armyman killed in Kashmir gunfight

In an overnight gunfight, two guerrillas and an army officer were killed and four policemen injured in Kashmir's Kupwara district, police said, adding that the operation continued Tuesday morning.

"Two militants have been killed in the Zunrishi (Chowkibal) encounter that started Monday evening," a senior police officer told IANS.

"One junior commissioned officer has also been killed in the operation and four policemen, including a sub-inspector and three constables, were injured during the operation," he said.

Although the firing has stopped, search operation is continuing to secure the place for the civilians, said the officer.

The identity of the slain guerrillas has been established, he added.

The security forces, including the army and the special operations group of the state police, earlier surrounded a house in Zunrishi village of the district, 130 km from here, late Monday following intelligence reports that a group of guerrillas was hiding in it.

Police said the security forces asked the guerrillas to surrender, but they resorted to indiscriminate firing at the policemen.

The security forces then tightened the cordon around the house to prevent the guerrillas from escaping in the darkness.