Tuesday 12th May, 2026
Srinagar, Mar 28: (UNI) Three militants were killed by security forces in an encounter which ensued during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in south Kashmir district of Shopian in the wee hours on Thursday.
Meanwhile, search operations were on Thursday called off in south Kashmir district of Kulgam, where several persons were injured, two of them with bullet wounds, when security forces and state police personnel opened fire and pellets to disperse demonstrators last evening.
The internet mobile service has been suspended as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours in parts of south Kashmir, where instantaneous shutdown was observed on Thursday in many areas after the news of the death of the militants spread.
A police spokesperson said that following specific information about presence of militants in Yarwan in snowbound Keller forest in Shopian, troops of Rashitriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint CASO in the wee hours today.
Security forces while marching towards particular area in the forest came under heavy fire from militants hiding there, he said, adding the fire was returned ensuing in an encounter.
“Three militants were killed in the encounter,” they said adding the bodies of all the militants were recovered from the snow bound forest.
They said the slain militants have been identified as Aaqib Ahmad, Basharat Ahmad and Sajad Khanday, all resident of south Kashmir.
He said according to the police records, it was a combined group of proscribed militant outfits Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of militancy related cases, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
Similarly, he said Sajad and Basharat were also involved in many militant attacks and several militancy related cases were also registered against them.
“Incriminating materials, including three AK rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror cases,” he said.
“Citizens are once again requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” he added.
Meanwhile, official sources said security forces with the first light resumed CASO in Yaripora in Kulgam, where two youths received bullet injuries after security forces opened fire and also fired pellets last evening. Several other persons were also injured in the security force action on demonstrators, who were trying to disrupt the operation at Kujar and Tangibal areas of Frisal in Kulgam on Wednesday. However, the search operation was called off after no contact was established with militants.
A CASO launched in village Razloo Qazigund in Kulgam district on Thursday morning following a tip off about the presence of militants, was also called off in the afternoon.