Sunday, July 17 2005 11:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: At least 14 heavily armed Pakistani intruders were killed in fierce gunbattles along the Line of Control (LoC) as security forces foiled three infiltration bids in Uri, Keran and Sunderbani sectors of Jammu and Kashmir, where a teenaged girl also lost her life.

Elsewhere in the State, six ultras, including a self-styled battalion commander of al-Badr outfit, and an army jawan were among nine persons killed while a Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militant was arrested and three hideouts busted in various operations since last night.

In a major encounter along the LoC, a defence spokesman said nine infiltrators were killed when they were confronted by the army troops at Chotali-Samawali, south of Rampur, in Uri sector of North Kashmir's Baramulla district.

The militants were heading towards Gulmarg sector after sneaking into the valley from across the border when they were challenged by the alert troops, he said adding a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from them.

Six-year old Naseema, daughter of one Mohammad Shafi Sooth was also killed in the exchange of fire, police said.

In nearby Kupwara district, the spokesman said troops gunned down four infiltrators affiliated with Jamiat-ul- Mujahideen and al-Barq militant outfits in Keran sector.

Four AK rifles, 12 magazines, 425 rounds, three wireless sets and a binocular were recovered from them.

The spokesman said troops engaged in operations against Pakistani infiltrators in Gurez sector since Tuesday (July 12, 2005), recovered bodies of two more militants, raising the number of ultras killed in the five-day-long operation to 11.

Nine bodies of militants were recovered by the troops in the sector till last evening.