From correspondents in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, 05:30 PM IST

A militant and his wife were killed in a gunbattle with security forces in the mountain-locked Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday, the first incident of its kind in nearly two decades of militancy-related violence in the state.

The police said: 'In a joint operation, the troops of 8 Rashtriya Rifles and J and amp;K Police killed Shabir Ahmed Attoo alias Abu Yashir, a divisional commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba and his wife Shamrina Bano at Gundna, Khandepura, Wednesday.'

The wife was also an active militant, the police alleged.

'The operation was launched based on specific information regarding presence of the said militant and his wife, a listed militant, inside a house,' the police said.

One AK 47 rifle and a pistol were among the items seized from the slain militants.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)