The police said that the security forces started a cordon and search operation in Awneera village of Shopian district yesterday evening following information about some militants hiding there. "When challenged today morning, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter in which one militant has been killed, " they said adding that the exact identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is yet to be ascertained.
This comes two days after a terrorist hideout was busted in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Sunday and household stocks and ammunition were seized, an Army official said. The joint search and cordon operation was launched by the Army along with Special Operation Group (SoG) in Panthna forests of Keshwan belt, PRO Defence, Jammu, said. During the search operation the militant hideout was busted a sleeping bag, a wooden bed, four steel boxes, a gas cylinder, packed fruit juice, noodle packets, wrist watch, three magazines and three blankets, he said. These items were recovered at Panthna-Keshwan about one-and-half km from the house of active militant Jammal Din, the PRO said.
In an earlier incident, four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, including two special police officers who had deserted the force recently, were on Friday killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. After receiving a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces at Panjran in Litter area of south Kashmir, a police spokesperson said.
(With inputs from PTI)