Five militants, 2 jawans killed in gunbattle

Five militants and two army troopers were killed in a nightlong fierce encounter in the north Kashmir Baramulla district on Friday.

The encounter started on Thursday evening after the army and police jointly surrounded a forest area near Sheikhpora village in Rafiabad, 83 km from Srinagar, on specific information about the presence of a group of militants

"As the security forces were laying the cordon, hiding militants opened fire triggering an encounter which continued the whole night," defence spokesman J S Brar had earlier told rediff.com.

"The encounter that has now ended. The searches are, however, going on," he said.