| Gunfights between suspected militants and security forces in Held Kashmir left at least 12 people dead, officials said on Saturday. Two suspected militants were killed in a gun battle with Indian soldiers in Konibal village, about 20 kilometres south of Srinagar. Two soldiers and two policemen also died and two other soldiers were wounded. Indian soldiers spotted a small band of guerrillas as they tried to sneak into Konibal on Friday night, carrying ammunition and supplies, an army official said on condition of anonymity. When "challenged by the troops", the militants fired back, setting off a nightlong gunfight. The army soon cordoned off the area, but at least four militants managed to escape, the officer said. At least seven houses in the village were damaged in the clash, he said. In a separate gunfight, six people were killed in the Goripara village, about 40 kilometres northeast of Srinagar, said police officer Mohammad Amin. The dead included three suspected militants, two soldiers and a civilian woman who was killed in the crossfire. |