Gunfight leaves three militants dead in Shopian

SHOPIAN — Three militants were killed while as three security forces personnel were injured in an encounter at Melhoora village of Zainapora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said on Wednesday.

Witnesses said that a residential house where militants were hiding was completely damaged in the gunfight while as another one suffered partial damage.

The Melhoora gunfight started yesterday and all three militant bodies have been recovered while as a woman sustained injury. Pertinently, four militants of AGH were killed in an encounter with the forces in the same village last week.

An official said that three militants were killed in the overnight gunbattle. A police spokesman in a statement issued here said that based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Melhoora area of Shopian, a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by Shopian Police, 55 RR and 178 Bn CRPF in the area.

“During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said. “In the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed.”

He said that the identification of killed militants is being ascertained. The medico-legal formalities of the killed militants are being done, the police spokesman said.

“In the encounter, three security force personnel also sustained injuries and were evacuated to hospital for medical treatment,” the spokesman said. He said that incriminating material including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter.

Meanwhile, security forces are sanitizing the area and have appealed the people not to go closer to the encounter spot till the site is properly sanitized.