Kashmir encounter over, 3 militants killed

The Jammu and Kashmir police have said that the thee militants killed in the recently concluded gunbattle in Rajouri were part of the team that masterminded and executed the attack last Wednesday on an Army jeep in which two civilians were killed.

Militants attacked the vehicle of the 48 Rashtriya Rifles' commanding officer near Thanamandi in which two jawans were also injured.

The militants were killed by a joint column of Army troops and police in the same area in the encounter that ended in the third day today.

In this encounter, Army jawan S K Singa of 38 Rashtriya Rifles has been killed Major Susheel Mahopatry is among the three people injured. Identifying the other injured as a Special Police Officer Ifitkar Hussain and civilian Khalid Hussain, sources said that Mahopatry has been airlifted to Command Hospital at Udhampur.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Rajouri, R K Jalla has said that the gunfight was on in the Shara Wali forest belt in Thanamandi tehsil of the district.

Additional forces have been rushed to the area and the cordon strengthened to prevent the militants from fleeing.

Two Lashker-e-Toiba militants were killed and constable Nasir Ahmed was injured in the exchange of fire in the area on Sunday. The militants were identified as Sajjad Kashmiri and Pakistani national Abu Qamran.

Two AK rifles along with ammunition and explosives have also been seized from the area where one more militant – codename Doctor, also a Pakistani national -- is believed to be holed up.