Indian troops kill militant in Indian-controlled Kashmir

 A militant was killed in a gunfight with Indian troops Wednesday in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.
The gunfight broke out in the late afternoon when a joint contingent of Indian army and police cordoned off village Hamlapati of Handwara in frontier Kupwara district, about 85 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian- controlled Kashmir.
"A militant was today gunned down in a gunfight at Shah Mohalla locality of Hamlapati in Handwara," Nalin Prabhat, a senior Indian paramilitary officer, told Xinhua. "The militants present in the area fired at army and police contingents as they were advancing toward it, thereby triggering a gunfight."
Police spokesman said the operation was carried out on specific intelligence inputs about presence of militants in the area.
According to Prabhat, the slain militant was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit. An assault rifle and some ammunition were recovered from the gunfight site, he said.
However, police officials said they were trying to ascertain identity of the slain militant.
Last week, a militant of Jaish-e-Mohammed group was killed and an Indian army trooper wounded in a similar gunfight in the region.
Last year, violence claimed 204 lives in the restive Indian- controlled Kashmir. Of the 204 killed, 48 were civilians, 73 suspected militants, one unidentified and 82 Indian troopers.
A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfight between the two sides takes place intermittently across the region..