A paramilitary trooper stands guard after a gunfight with militants at Hajin village, Bandipora. PTI

Samaan Lateef

Tribune News Service

Srinagar October 11

Two Indian Air Force (IAF) commandos were killed in a counter-militancy operation in Kashmir today. Two  ‘wanted’ Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were also killed in the gunfight that took place at Paribal-Salamabad village in Bandipora district this morning.“Two wanted LeT militants and two IAF Garud commandos were killed in Hajin, Bandipora, this morning,” said Sheikh Zulfikar Azad, Senior Superintendent of Police, Bandipora. The commandos were with the Army for operational experience and training, he said. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)On specific information about militants’ presence in a house at Hajin, the police, Army and CRPF launched a joint operation around 2.30 am.As the security forces zeroed in on the militants, they came out of the residential building and opened fire,  triggering a gunfight, the police said. An IAF commando was killed on the spot while the other succumbed to his injuries at the Army’s 92-Base Hospital in Srinagar. Security personnel gunned down the two LeT militants as they tried to break the cordon and flee.The slain IAF personnel were identified as Sergeant K Milind Kishor and Corporal Nilesh Kumar Nayan. Kishor, 33, of Sakri town in Nashik, Maharashtra, had joined the IAF in 2002.  Nayan, 31, of Udhadih village in Bhagalpur district of Bihar, donned the IAF uniform in 2005.The killed militants were identified as Nasrullah Mir (alias Anna) of Hajin and Ali Bai (alias Maaz) of Pakistan. The police found two AK rifles, a pistol, 19 rounds, a grenade, two pouches and other ammunition at the encounter site. Mir had joined militancy in May, while Ali  had been active since January 2015.The police said both militants were involved in several attacks, including the killing of local BSF jawan Mohammad Ramzan in September, civilian Muzaffar Ahmad Parray (whose decapitated body was found in the Jhelum in August) and dreaded counter-insurgent Rashid Billa in April.Sources said LeT commander Mehmood Bhai had also been injured in the gunfight. “We are yet to confirm this information,” Zulfikar said.

2 cops arrested for aiding Hizbul Srinagar: Two Jammu and Kashmir constables were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly supplying ammunition to Hizbul Mujahideen. Constables Shabir Ahmad Malik and Nazir Ahmed Najar allegedly supplied 40 rounds of ammunition to overground Hizbul workers in south and central Kashmir, the police said. They were arrested along with two others “affiliated” with the group. DGP SP Vaid complimented the police for busting the “unholy nexus” PTI