Jammu, Nov 30: Two army personnel, including a Major, and a self-styled commander of militant outfit Lashker-e-Toiba were killed in a fierce gunbattle in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today, official sources said. Acting on specific intelligence input about the presence of a group of let militants in a high altitude hideout in Ghambir Moghala area forests of Rajouri district, security forces launched a search-and-cordon operation to track down the ultras late last night.

The militants, who had set up ambushes in the area, threw grenades and opened indiscriminate firing on troops, the sources said. The jawans retaliated resulting in a fierce encounter which was still on.

Two army personnel, including a Major and lance naik, and one 'tehsil commander' of LeT - identified as Abu Hamza of Pakistan - were killed in the encounter, the sources said.
Additional troops were sent to the area to track down the militants who were hiding in the area, they said.

The recoveries from the militants included one AK rifle, two pistols, seven magazines, 210 rounds, nine grenades, one Pika gun, one Kenwood set, 2 IEDs and some medicines and documents.
Bureau Report