Policeman, soldier killed in Kashmir gunfight

By Hilal Mir

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) - A policeman and a soldier were killed in a gunfight with militants in India-administered Kashmir on Tuesday, a police official said.

The official, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said the government forces were conducting a cordon-and-search operation in Khrew area of southern Kashmir district of Pulwama after receiving inputs about the presence of militants there.

During the search, the militants opened fire at the forces, injuring a policeman and a soldier who later succumbed to their wounds.

The search operation was in progress in the area.

On Monday, police chief in the region, Dilbag Singh, told a news conference the government forces have carried out successful anti-militancy operations in January and killed at least eight militants.

As seven of the eight deceased were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit, the largest in Kashmir, Dilbag said the organization was on the verge of being wiped out from southern Kashmir.