Bhaderwah, Feb 22: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) team has busted a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant hideout near Bhaderwah in Doda district.

The raid took place about 800 metres from the location where Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to meet avalanche-hit affected people.

Home Minister Shivraj Patil is accompanying Sonia Gandhi during her visit.

Five militants managed to flee, while two members of the house were taken into custody.

The CRPF also recovered four kg RDX, two grenades and many detonators from a house near Tel Mata Mandir in Kannauj.

As the news spread, security was beefed up and search operations were ordered.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (Doda) Manohar Singh refused to comment on the report and termed it a rumour.

"We have been camping in this region for the past three days and never heard of any such raid. We have raised the security level because of the VIPs who are scheduled to arrive in a convoy," he added.

About 200 people were rescued while 12 people were killed in avalanches and blizzards that struck these areas in the first week of February.

According to defence sources, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has evacuated over 14, 000 people stranded on either side of the Pir Panjal mountain range and in some villages following unprecedented snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)