Three local militants including a new recruit were killed in a gunfight with security forces at a village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district Friday morning.
A police official identified the slain militants as Mudasir Ahmad Wagay resident of Sangran, Shopian; Suhail Ahmad Sheikh resident of Tuarkawangam, Shopian; and Shahid Ahmad of Samboora, Pulwama.
The police said that the killed militants were the members of Al-Badar militant outfit.
A police official said that the militants hiding in Badigam-Imamshab area of the district fired on the forces during a cordon and search operation at around 11.30 pm on Thursday.
The forces comprising columns of army’s 44 RR, CRPF and police, according to the official, had launched the operation after they were tipped off about the presence of militants in the area.
“The forces immediately returned the fire. However, after the exchange of bullets for a few minutes, an eerie silence reigned over the area for a few hours”, said the official.
He said that at around 4 am Friday, the firing resumed again and finally ended with the killing of three militants.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told reporters that the killed militants were affiliated with Al-Badar militant outfit.
Mudasir Wagay, according to the official, had signed up for the outfit four days ago.
“He had vanished from his village on February 15, 2021 and a missing report was filed with a local police station two days later,” said the official.