A fierce encounter between security personnel and the Islamist militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) resulted in two militant deaths… one of them a top LeT commander.

Acting on a tip, security personnel cordoned off the area around a house in the Kalwa forest area in the district where the militants were hiding.

[Surinder Chaudhary, Deputy Superintendent of Police]:
"Yesterday we received pinpoint information that they were hiding in someone's house… So as soon as we got the information we got close to the house and cordoned the nearby area. The moment militants saw security personnel they jumped out of the house and started running. We opened gun fire, threw grenades and both of them died on the spot."

The slain militants were later identified as the District Commander of Lashkar and his accomplice, Jabrar.

After months of relative calm, there has been a rise recently in separatist violence across Kashmir.

Officials say tens of thousands have been killed since a revolt against Indian rule broke out in 1989.