9 freedom fighters killed in held Kashmir operation

With the recovery of two bodies of militants early Monday, the death toll in the ongoing operation to track town rebels in high-altitude areas of Kashmir valley has gone up to nine, a defence spokesman said. Bodies of the two slain militants were recovered from Kangan, 40 km from Srinagar, the spokesman said. "The identity and group affiliation of the deceased are yet to be established," he said. The operation was launched on Thursday following information that a group of militants was moving from Bandipora to Kangan in Ganderbal district. Many militants are believed to be trapped in the area, according to officials. "There might be some more splinter groups in the area but we have enough troops to take on them," an Indian army official had said commenting on the operation. The rise in militant activities in the upper reaches of the strategically important Kangan, 40 km from Srinagaron the Srinagar-Leh national highway, in the past few months also prompted the authorities to go after the militants to secure the area, sources said. The army and the local police parties scaled the area from both sides - Bandipora and Kangan, while helicopters were used for para-dropping soldiers in the high-altitude areas to flush out the militants.