Jammu: Six Pakistani militants were on April 28 shot dead by Army troops in Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said.

Acting on specific information, Army troops cordoned off Gandoh forest area in Doda district on early April 28 and launched a search operation to track down militants, who were hiding in a cave.

During the search, militants fired on security forces who retaliated, resulting in an encounter in which three Pakistani militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed and three rifles, one pistol, nine handgrenades and a wireless set recovered.

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In another encounter in Surankot forest belt in Poonch district, troops shot dead three more Pakistani militants on April 28 morning and recovered four rifles, seven handgrenades, one rocket and a radio set from them.

Meanwhile, reports from Rajouri said a group of militants opened fire for almost three hours on a police party near the Shadra Sharief shrine in Rajouri district on April 27 night.

In another incident, a patrol party observed movement of militants in Panjai forest in Rajouri district and when the ultras were challenged, a brief exchange of firing ensued after which the ultras fled, leaving behind two boys whom they had been attempting to kidnap.

The rescued boys, Mohammad Altaf (13) and Maqdool Hussain (14), later told army officials that they were being forcibly taken to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) for arms training.

PTI