Srinagar, November 27
At least 22 persons, including 12 Armymen and 10 militants, were killed and five others injured in a fierce encounter at Surankot in Poonch district of Jammu region today. Five Armymen, who were seriously injured in the encounter, have been evacuated, sources said.

The two officers killed in the encounter were identified as Major Ashok Sangli of the 17th Maratha Light Infantry and Junior Commanding Officer Nayak Subedar Jaswant Singh, the sources said.

According to a defence spokesman, a team of soldiers were going to nab a group of militants at Hill Kaka in the Surankot area of Poonch, 232 km from here.

The spokesman said when the soldiers reached Hill Kaka forest, the militants ambushed them, killing five soldiers and an officer on the spot and injuring two others. He said 10 militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba were also killed in the encounter. Additional forces have been rushed to the spot to nab the militants.

Meanwhile, the police averted a major tragedy with the timely detection of two powerful IEDs at Pantha Chowk, 10 km from here, on the Srinagar Jammu national highway, as per a report from Srinagar.

At least 13 persons, including an activist of the ruling National Conference, eight militants and two security force personnel, were killed and six others injured in separate incidents of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday.

A police spokesman said two IEDs were detected at Pantha Chowk this morning. The bomb disposal squad neutralised and defused them without causing any damage.

Two security force personnel were killed and six others injured when an IED exploded during search operations in Dooraswani jungles in Kupwara district yesterday.

Unidentified militants shot an activist of the ruling National Conference, Abdul Leteef Choudhary, at Laloor Dessa in Doda district of the Jammu region last night.

Two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Hangabal in the Machil sector of Kupwara yesterday. Two militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Kreeri in Baramula district yesterday.