Three guerrillas killed in Kashmir gunfight

Srinagar, April 5 (IANS) Three separatist guerrillas were killed in a gunfight between the guerrillas and the security forces in north Kashmir's Kupwara district that continued till late Thursday.

"On a specific tip-off about the presence of militants, police and army troops in Handwara tehsil of Kupwara district launched a joint operation in the dense forests of Kramhoora, Handwara falling under the jurisdiction of police station Handwara today," a police officer said.

"Militants hiding in the forests resorted to heavy firing on the security forces. The security forces returned the fire triggering a gunfight in which three militants have been killed so far. The gunfight is still going on in the area," the officer said at 6.30 p.m.

Five separatist guerrillas of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit were killed in two gunfights between the security forces and the guerrillas in the same district.