August 5, 2015 8:20 AM

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Two soldiers killed in friendly fire in south Kashmir's Tral

In Jammu & Kashmir, two soldiers were killed and two others injured when an ambush party mistook a column of patrolling soldiers as uniformed militants in south Kashmir's sensitive Tral pocket late yesterday evening. The two parties belonged to same army camp but lack of coordination during the pitch dark hours led to armed confrontation in an area where militants of Hizbul Mujahideen are active in a sizeable number. Official sources said that a unit of 42 Rashtriya Riffles had laid an ambush near an orchard at Noorpora following intelligence input that a group led by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan was to move through the area. Burhan group had recently released a video on internet, showing them wearing army uniform, training inside forest area in south Kashmir. <br/><br/>Sources said that as a separate sub-unit of the 42 RR passed through the area, the one which had laid the ambush fired indiscriminately, resulting in the killing of two soldiers and injuries to two other personnel who have been hospitalized. Sources identified the deceased as NK Mohan Boro and Sepoy Lal Chanhlima Ghatak. Police sources told AIR that two army parties accidentally fired at each other assuming each other to be militants. He said while two soldiers died before being admitted to hospital, two others are being treated. Militants active in Tral area have recently uploaded their pictures and videos on social networking sites in which they are donning army fatigues and brandish automatic weapons. They are led by Burhan Wani, who has become icon of the newest wave of armed insurgency in Kashmir. Security forces say the militants are using websites to lure more youngsters to their fold. They say that effective measures are being taken to minimize militants' influence on the teenagers.

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