Srinagar: Three militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday, police said.
The security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Khul Chohar in the south Kashmir district following information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
The operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon a search party of the forces, who retaliated, the official said.
Three militants have been killed in the encounter so far, he said, adding that the identity and group affiliation were being ascertained.
Meanwhile, police also claimed that Doda district in Jammu region has become “militancy free” as the last of the surviving militants in the area was killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district on Monday.
“With today’s operation at Khull Chohar in Anantnag by Anantnag, police along with 19 RR, CRPF in which two LET militants including one district commander and one Hizbul Mujahideen commander Masood were neutralised, Doda district in Jammu zone becomes totally militancy-free once again as Masood was last surviving militant of Doda,” a police spokesman said.
The spokesman said Masood, a resident of Doda, was involved in a rape case in the district, and was absconding ever since.
“He later joined Hizbul Mujahideen and shifted his area of operation to Kashmir,” the spokesman added.
Police said that bodies of the killed militants have been sent to Handwara for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA.
“In case any family claims the killed terrorists to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for their identification and participation in last rites at Handwara,” police said.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir appreciated JKP and SFs for exercising utmost restraint thereby ensuring a clean operation with no collateral damage, police said.
