5 soldiers killed as Army fights infiltrators in north Kashmir; 5 militants gunned down

Five Army personnel and as many militants were killed in a fierce gun battle between the forces and a terrorist group that had infiltrated from across the Line of Control in Keran sector of north Kashmir, officials said here on Sunday night.

A Srinagar-based defence spokesman had earlier said that three Army personnel had fallen to the bullets of the militants in the higher reaches of Keran, which falls under Kupwara district.

However, later, the officials said that the number of soldiers killed in the gun battle was five and an equal number of terrorists had been killed in the operation which had been going since the intervening night of April 3 and 4.

The terrorists are believed to have entered the Indian territory from Shamsabari range and were hiding in 'Gujjar Dhok' (temporary shelter for nomads) in the Poswal area of the sector, they said.

Earlier the defence spokesman had said that "in an ongoing anti-infiltration operation in Keran sector of north Kashmir, alert troops braving inclement weather and hostile terrain have so far eliminated five terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the LoC."

"Evacuation of the injured is hampered due to heavy snow and rough terrain conditions," he said, adding the operation was still in progress.