Srinagar, April 26, 2005 (PTI)

Seven militants and a civilian were killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said on Tuesday.

In a major gun battle in Kupwara district, army troops gunned down six unidentified militants at Dangyari-Chowkibal forest, 115 km from Srinagar, a defence official said.

The encounter took place when the hiding militants opened fire on an army column that had moved to the village following a tip-off, the official said.

Five AK-47 assault rifles, 13 AK magazines, 356 rounds, 10 Chinese grenades and a radio set were recovered from the slain militants.

Their identities and group affiliations are being ascertained, the official said.

In another encounter, security forces shot dead a militant, Moosa Gujarati, of the Hizb-e-Islami outfit during search operations at Nar-Harni in Poonch district, a police spokesman said.

An AK rifle, four magazines, 30 rounds and two grenades were recovered from the slain militant.

Meanwhile, militants kidnapped a carpet dealer Riyaz Ahmad from his house at Chak-Reshipora on Monday night and hanged him to death in nearby Wagmullah village of Kunzer in Baramulla district, the spokesman said.

He added that a militant of al-Badr outfit surrendered before the police along with a pistol, two magazines, 15 rounds and a hand grenade at Dharamsal in Rajouri district on Monday.