2 more militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, April 29

Two more militants were today killed in a gunfight that had erupted on Tuesday evening in south Kashmir’s Shopian, taking the toll of militants in the operation to three. An Army officer was among four security men injured in the gunfight.

While the police maintain that the three militants were unidentified, sources said the slain were locals and affiliated with the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. One of the slain, they said, was a top commander of the group.

The gunfight between the militants and forces erupted at around 5 pm on Tuesday when joint teams of forces were carrying out a cordon and a search operation at Melhora Zainpora in Shopian, over 50 km from Srinagar.

“During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired at the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed. The identification of killed terrorists is being ascertained,” a police spokesman in Srinagar said.

The sources said four security men, including an Army officer, was injured during the encounter. The police said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was also recovered from the site of encounter.

The authorities also conducted medico-legal formalities of the slain militants.

A house was also damaged during the gunfight that continued through the night and ended this afternoon.

There were also reports of stone throwing near the encounter site. Five civilians, including a woman, were also injured near the site, the sources said.