Shopian encounter ends: One militant killed, one jawan injured

"As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is going on. Two to three militants are believed to be trapped inside the cordon," a police officer said.

Representational Picture (AFP)

Srinagar (J&K): Shopian district witnessed three gunfights between militants and security forces on Thursday with the final one ending at around 5:40 pm. There were reports of another encounter being underway in Kandi area of Kupwara. One militant was killed while a security personnel was injured in the gun battle in Shopian, reports said. A  Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched in the area based on the tip about presence of militants being holed up in Hendew village. "As the cordon was tightened, the militants opened fire, triggering an encounter which is going on. Two to three militants are believed to be trapped inside the cordon," a police officer said. There was no report of any casualty in Kupwara. Five persons, including three Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants, a soldier and a civilian, were killed in another gunfight in Dalipora village of Pulwama district. Police said one of the three slain militants was a top commander, identified as Khalid Bhai of Pakistan. He had reportedly masterminded the 2017 attack on the Lethpora CRPF camp in Pulwama district in which five CRPF troopers were killed. (With additional information from IANS)