Three hardcore militants of Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba, holed up in a house in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, were killed and two soldiers wounded in a 12-hour fierce gunbattle which ended this morning.
The slain ultras, trapped in the house in village Shatipora at Handwara, 90-km from here, were all foreigners, a police spokesman said.
Security forces laid a cordon around the village last evening after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants there.
As a team of police, Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF zeroed in on the target, the ultras opened fire at them.
The security personnel returned the fire triggering a gunfight which ended in the morning, the spokesman said.
The dead ultras were identified as Abu Waqaas, Qari Nomaan and Ubaid, he said adding "they were instrumental in receiving fresh recruits from across the border".
Two army jawans were injured in the gunbattle, the spokesman said. Three AK 47 rifles and nine magazines were recovered from scene.
The house where the militants were hiding was destroyed in the operation.
