Seven LeT guerrillas killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Nov 28 (IANS) Seven separatist guerrillas of the Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) - the outfit suspected to be behind the terrorist attack in Mumbai - were killed across the Kashmir Valley Friday in two separate gunfights with security forces, officials said.

The police here said troops of the counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir police surrounded Sumbler village in Bandipora district, 62 km from here in north Kashmir, late Thursday evening following specific information about the presence of guerrillas there.

'The group of militants was asked to surrender, but they started indiscriminate automatic gun fire at the troops triggering an encounter (gun battle) that ended today afternoon,' a senior police officer said here.

'Five militants belonging to the LeT outfit have been killed in this encounter. The troops did not suffer any damage in the gunfight that lasted for several hours,' the officer said.

In another gunfight in Panzgam village of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, 38 km from here, two operatives of the LeT were killed when Rashtriya Rifles and SOG challenged the hiding guerrillas who retaliated with heavy automatic gunfire.

'Two militants belonging to the LeT have been killed in the Panzgam encounter,' another police official said here.

The official also said that the security forces at both Sumbler and Panzgam villages were now in the process of mopping up the operations.

A group of terrorist struck at at least 10 places in Mumbai Wednesday night, killing at least 125 people even as security forces were Friday afternoon wrapping up an operation to free hostages they had taken. The terrorists, numbering at least 10, are suspected to be from the LeT.