Army major, two militants killed in J&K encounter

An Indian Army major and two militants were killed in fighting near the border with Pakistan in the mountainous Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said Wednesday.

The army sources said that a group of militants were trying to sneak into the Indian side in the Sonagali area of Poonch district Tuesday night, some 220 km northwest of Jammu.

A gunbattle started when the security forces challenged the infiltrators after spotting them. One army major and two militants were killed in the fighting.

Meanwhile, a search operation was launched in the area to nab the other militants. The troops are also scanning the area for more bodies of the militants who might have died in the attack.

The security forces say that the infiltration bid by militants from across the border was kept under control, although the number of infiltration attempts was higher this year compared to 2008.

They said Pakistan is helping the militants to infiltrate into the Indian side.

In another incident this month, five militants were killed during an infiltration bid in the northern Kashmir area of Gurez.

Lt. Gen. P.C. Bhardwaj, general officer commanding in chief of northern command, recently told reporters that over 70 militants had sneaked into India from Pakistan this year so far. During the same period last year the number was 45.