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Mukhtar Ahmed in Srinagar
At least 20 militants were killed in four separate encounters with the army and the special operations group (SOG) of the state police near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir.
A senior police officer in Jammu told rediff.com that security forces and the SOG jointly mounted operations in Loren, Mandi and Saujian villages near the LoC in Poonch district early on Friday.
Talking to rediff.com on phone, Jammu range police chief R V Raju said that the security forces engaged a group of heavily armed militants in the three villages.
"So far, we have information that the army and police have killed 20 militants. Full details are not yet available," said the Jammu range police chief R V Raju.
He said most of those killed had crossed over from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Sources said Pakistani artillery had been shelling the villages near the LoC in Poonch district at the time of the incident.
The shelling was still continuing.
On Thursday, security forces had gunned down three militants in a fierce gun battle at Khadarla, Morah Damar village in Rajouri district. Two army men were also killed in the encounter.
A report from the central Budgam district said that a vehicle of the SOG was ambushed by militants near village Malpora. The militants opened heavy fire on the police vehicle resulting in serious injuries to three cops, who were immediately rushed to a hospital.
One head constable, identified as Ghulam Mohammad, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.
Police said the area was later searched.
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