One militant killed in Anantnag encounter

A JAWAN WAS ALSO INJURED IN THE MONDAY ENCOUNTER; A JOINT OP WAS LAUNCHED AFTER INPUTS ABOUT MILITANT PRESENCE IN KULGAM

SRINAGAR: A militant was killed in a brief encounter with security forces on Monday after the ultras opened fire on a patrol team in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, injuring a soldier, officials said.

The jawan suffered injuries after he was hit by a bullet fired by some militants in the Arwani area of Anantnag district, the officials said.

They said security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the assailants.

As the searches were going on, security forces personnel were fired upon, triggering retaliation, the officials said. In the ensuing gunfight, one unidentified militant has been killed, they added.

The army and police launched a joint operation in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Monday. Officials said the operation was launched after they received inputs about militant presence in the area.

Security officials, on Saturday, claimed to have killed the selfstyled Kashmir chief of Jaish-emohammad and his two associates in south Kashmir who were again planning a major attack on Republic Day in Kashmir.

Police said the Kashmir chief had a supervisory role in February 14 suicide bombing attack in 2019.

RECENT ENCOUNTERS

Last Monday, three local Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a commander and a former cop involved in a major weapons’ heist in 2018,were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Earlier, a local Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on January 14.