Four Lashkar militants, armyman killed in Kashmir encounter

Sources said villagers had spotted militants moving around the forests and its adjoining areas.

A defence spokesman said that after getting specific information about the presence of three to four militants in the Haphruda forests, a joint operation was launched by the Army and Special Operation Group of the police.

“Contact with the militants was established at night and a fierce gun battle ensued which continued intermittently through the night resulting in elimination of four militants whose identity is being ascertained,” he said.

The spokesman said that four AK-47 rifles, one UBGL and other war-like stores including ammunition, grenades and radio sets have also been recovered. “The gunfight ended in the afternoon and three soldiers sustained injuries. All the injured were shifted to the Army Hospital.’’

Officials said that militants were entrenched in the dense forests and gave tough resistance. The Army later sought assistance of Army’s Special Forces and para commandos to neutralise them.

Haphruda forests is a dense range that is connected with vast swathes of Bangus Valley, Rajwar and Chowkibal areas of the Kupwara district. Since many years, militants have been using these forests to hide and receive the fresh groups that infiltrate into the Valley after crossing the Line of Control.