SRINAGAR, India-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- A militant owing allegiance to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit was killed Thursday morning in a gun fighting in India-controlled Kashmir, defense officials said.

    The gun-fighting broke out in Keshwan forests of Kishtwar district, 275 kilometers northeast of Jammu, the winter capital of India-controlled Kashmir.

    "One militant was killed in a joint operation carried by Indian army and police. The gun-fighting broke after the militants fired on the search party," said Lt. Col. Biplab Nath, defense spokesman based in Jammu in a telephonic interview to Xinhua.

    He said that the operation was carried out on prior information about the presence of militants in the area.

    "The gunfighting is going on in the area which indicates the militant presence," Nath said.

    Meanwhile, the another encounter that broke out in Mahore of Reasi district, 180 kilometers north of Jammu on has ended without any causality on either side.

    Police sources said the militants have managed to escape in the upper reaches.

    Gunfighting between militants and Indian army troopers in India-controlled Kashmir takes place intermittently.

    Police and defense officials maintain that most of the times the operations triggering gun fights are carried out on prior information about presence of militants in specific areas.

    There has been a surge in militancy related incidents since August 1.