Thirteen people, including six Pakistani intruders and a self-styled company commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, were killed in separate militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], where troops foiled two major infiltration bids along the Line of Control.

Six militants, who had sneaked across the LoC in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on Thursday, were killed by army troops in a two-day-long operation, thus thwarting a major infiltration bid, a defence spokesman said in Srinagar [Images] on Friday.

While three of the militants were killed on Thursday, three others were gunned down on Friday.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition, including six AK assault rifles and a pistol, were recovered from the slain
militants, he said.

Security forces scuttled another bid by militants to sneak into the state through the Mendhar forward belt in Poonch
district on Friday. Though no one was killed in the incident, sustained firing by security forces forced the militants to retreat to the Pakistani side.

• The Road to Peace

In a separate incident, a self-styled company commander of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen identified as Imran Bhat was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Awantipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, the spokesman said. 

An AK rifle, four magazines, 58 rounds and two hand grenades were recovered from the slain Hizbul militant.

Meanwhile, militants shot dead two persons, identified as Shahnawaz Amin Shah and Aijaz Yousuf, at Peth-Makhama in Beerwah area of Badgam district in central Kashmir on Thursday, the defence spokesman said.

Two persons, a carpenter identified as Pradeep Kumar and one Mohammad Maqbool, fell to militant bullets in Akhiyarabad and Marwah villages of Doda district on Thursday, he said.

The police recovered the body of a driver, Farooq Ahmad, from Kanzwari area of Chadoora in Badgam district on Friday, the spokesman said, adding the slain civilian was abducted by suspected militants on Thursday night from nearby Balpora-Wathora village.

The body bore signs of strangulation.

The police also recovered a decomposed body identified as that of one Latief Ahmad from Cherwan area of Srinagar on Friday. Ahmad, a resident of Thune-Kangan, was missing for the last nine months, he added.