Three militants shot dead in J&K’s Bandipora

Encounter on between security forces and hiding militants

Army soldiers take position near the site of gunfight in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. File photo

Three militants were killed and a soldier was injured on Saturday in an encounter between security forces and hiding militants in a forest area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora.

The police said two militants were killed in a gunfight that broke out during a search-and-cordon operation.

Officials said one more militant was killed after a fresh contact with hiding militants was established in the adjacent Aragam forest area, hours later.

“The operation is still going on in the area,” officials said.

One soldier was injured in the encounter. He has been evacuated to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital, Srinagar.

This is the second major encounter in Kashmir in the past 24 hours. Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed on July 23 in north Kashmir’s Sopore.

Security forces launched the operation in Shokbaba forest in the Sumblar area of Bandipora in north Kashmir following inputs about the presence of militants there, they said.

The officials said as the forces were conducting searches in the area, the militants fired upon them.

The forces retaliated, they said.

Srinagar-based PRO Defence Col. Emron Musavi said an Army personnel suffered injuries in the gunfight.

The officials said the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras are being ascertained.