Srinagar: Four hardcore Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants and three security force jawans were among 10 people killed since last evening (Aug 6, 2004) in Jammu and Kashmir where ultras attacked houses of a former counter-insurgent turned politician and a National Conference leader.

Two JeM militants identified as Furqan-ul-Islam and Omar Ayar, both hailing from Pakistan, were killed in a joint operation by Special Operations Group (SOG) of local police and Rashtriya Rifles at Konibal-Pampore in Pulwama district.

Two SOG personnel, constables Rajinder Singh and Keemati Lal, were also killed and five security-men and a civilian wounded in the gunbattle lasting nearly 18 hours, a police spokesman said.

The encounter began yesterday afternoon when the joint search party raided a house in the village to flush out hiding ultras, he said adding two AK rifles, six magazines and ten hand grenades were recovered from the slain ultras.

An army jawan, wounded in a gunfight with ultras near Kangan on Srinagar-Leh national highway yesterday, succumbed to injuries today (Aug 7, 2004). Three militants, two army-men and a woman, were killed in the daylong encounter yesterday.

A JeM ultra, a member of the suicide squad, was killed in an encounter with security forces in Tral area in Pulwama district.

He was identified as Adil Naeem alias Abu Tallah, a resident of Pakistan. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene.