Gunfight in Pulwama; militants escape

An operation against militants was called off in south Kashmir's Pulwama after brief exchange of fire.

The brief gunfight erupted between 2 am and 3 am, when security forces encircled militants at Batnoor village.

Preliminary reports suggest the cordon remained in place for some and was called off later around 7 am as security forces failed to locate them.

The cordon operation also sparked protests in the area. The security forces used teargas shells to disperse the protesters.