Monday, July 11 2005 20:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Seven militants of Pakistan- based Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), including three top commanders, and an Army jawan were among ten people killed and seven others injured in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since last night (July 10, 2005), a police spokesman said today (July 11,2005).

In a major success, a self-styled divisional commander of LeT Mohammad Hafiz alias Shahbaz was killed in an encounter lasting for four hours during search operations by security forces at Ghodal in Doda district today, the spokesman said.

One AK rifle, three magazines, 10 rounds, a hand-grenade and a wireless set were recovered from the deceased, he said.

Hafiz, a resident of Chitrana village of Doda, was active since 1994 and was wanted in a large number of killings, including those of security personnel and civilians.

Two more LeT militants, including an area commander identified as Akbar alias Abu Rehan, a resident of Sindh in Pakistan, were killed in a gunfight in Gambir Mughlan in Rajouri district last night.

Two AK rifles, six magazines, 90 rounds, five detonators and a hand-grenade were recovered from them, the spokesman said.

He said a self-styled district commander of JeM, Momin Khan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was killed alongwith his local associate Mohammad Iqbal Wani in an encounter with security forces, lasting for nearly two hours, at village Chhatawach-Shopian in Pulwama district last night.

Two AK rifles, six magazines, 36 rounds and a radio set were recovered from the slain militants who were involved in looting of Rs 35 lakh from Imam Sahib branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank on November 4 last year, besides other militancy-related incidents, he said.

In another encounter, two JeM militants and a civilian were killed during search operations at Bapura in Bandipora area of Baramulla district last night, the spokesman said and identified the deceased as Pakistani militants Umer Gazali and Hanzulla alias Hamza Bhai and civilian Nazir Ahmad Khan.

However, a defence spokesman said Khan was also a militant.

The residents of the area took to streets this morning to protest the killing of Khan, claiming that he was not associated with any militant group and was performing duties of Imam at a local mosque.

An Army jawan was killed and three others were injured when militants ambushed a patrol party at Nawapachi area of Doda district last night, official sources said.

The patrol party was attacked when it was returning to the camp after an operation, they said.

The sources said police recovered body of an unidentified person from remote Khurihar village in Rajouri district today.

The spokesman said militants hurled a grenade towards the transit camp of security forces at Surankote this morning, but it fell short of the target and exploded on the road, causing minor injuries to three civilians moving near the camp.

He said none of the security personnel were injured in the attack.

Militants also targeted a vehicle of the territorial army battalion with a grenade in Poonch district town last night but it failed to cause any casualty or damage to the vehicle.

He said security forces arrested a militant alongwith two IEDs from Chontipora in Kupwara district today.