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India-Pakistan
5 killed in shootout in India-controlled Kashmir
2008-05-13
(Xinhua) -- Four civilians and one Army jawan were killed and 13 people injured during an encounter between Indian security forces and two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in Samba town of the India-controlled Kashmir, according to the Indian newspaper The Hindu Monday

The 12-hour face-off on Sunday ended just before dusk with the killing of the two militants. Kulbhusan, a local resident, told The Hindu that at 5:58 a.m. the president of the newly constituted Indian National Democratic Party, Hoshiar Singh, informed him over phone that militants were attacking his house.

The militants asked for permission to enter his house, situated in the Kali Mandi colony, but when he refused they killed him, his wife Sheshi Balla and injured his daughter Bindu and relative Darshan Devi. Then the militants took refuge in another house and took eight persons as hostages.

A combined operation was initiated by the Indian Army, the Jammu and Kashmir police and the BSF to rescue the hostages. A photo journalist of the local English newspaper Daily Excelsior, Ashok Sodhi, who was covering the encounter, was killed. A hostage and an Army man were also killed in the militant fire. By 5 p.m. Sunday, the seven hostages were rescued and the security forces killed the militants.

Inspector General of Kashmir Police K. Rajendra said it was difficult to say whether the militants were new infiltrators. He, however, said intercepts showed they belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Posted by:Fred

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