Srinagar, Oct 8 (IANS) Police in Jammu and Kashmir claim to have killed two guerrillas belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba from Kerala in separate shootouts this week — the first time since 1989 that guerrillas from another state have been killed here.The incidents took place in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a police official said.

“They belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba group and their code names are Yasin and Fayaz,” he said, adding that one of the guerrillas was killed on Monday and the other on Tuesday in joint operations of the police and the army.

Confirming the shootouts, B. Srinivas, inspector general of police (Kashmir Zone), said: “Yes, we have killed two terrorists in two separate encounters earlier this week, both of whom belong to Kerala.”

Asked whether the slain guerrillas belonging to Kerala had any links with the Indian Mujahideen group that are said to have carried out the recent bombings in Delhi, Srinivas told IANS: “It would be premature to make a comment like that. We have got in touch with the Kerala state police to establish the background of the slain terrorists.”