Three militants, including the brother of an IPS officer, were killed and an army soldier wounded in a gunfight in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Tuesday.
Reports said that the gunfight broke out today morning after a joint party of the army and the state police launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Shirmal village following inputs about the presence of militants.
They said the militants opened fire on the forces after the latter fired several shots towards their hideout located in an orchard in the village.
There was a lull momentarily before firefight resumed, leading to the killing of three militants, news agency GNS reported.
One army soldier has also sustained injuries during the course of the gunfight, it reported while quoting unnamed sources.
The bodies of the slain were recovered along with as many weapons and other arms and ammunition, they said.
The government forces blasted the hideout, the sources said.
Four militants were trapped and one of them reportedly managed to flee.
Official sources said Shamsul Haq Mengnoo son of Mohammad Rafiq Mengnoo, a resident of Draggud village of Shopian district, was among the slain, said the report.
Shamsul Haq was pursuing Bachelors of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) at government college Zakura when he joined militancy. His elder brother Inamul Haq is 2012 IPS batch officer who is posted in North East. The identity of the two other militants was being ascertained, official sources said.
A police official confirmed the killing of three militants but refused to comment about the escapade of the fourth militant, saying the operation is still underway.
A police spokesman identified the slain trio as Shamsul Haq Mengnoo son of Mohammad Rafiq resident of Dragad Shopian, Aamir Suhail Bhat son of Abdul Aziz resident of Chidipora Chitragam Shopian, Shoaib Ahmad Shah son of Ghulam Rasool resident of Shermal Shopian.