Three militants killed in Kashmir’s Baramulla

Continuing anti-insurgency operations, security forces killed three more militants in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday.

The gunfight broke out in the morning when a joint team of army's Rashtriya Rifles, J&K police and paramilitary CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Binner village of Baramulla, 55 km from here, after getting inputs about the presence of three militants in the area.

“As the cordon was tightened, the militants fired at the forces, triggering a gunfight. In the retaliatory action three ultras were killed,” a police official said and added the operation prolonged due to the tough terrain and inclement weather.

The identity and the group affiliation of the slain militants could not be established immediately. In the last three days, nine militants have been killed in three separate encounters across Kashmir.

Three local militants, including the brother of an IPS officer, were killed in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. Earlier, on Monday three ultras were slain in a similar gunfight in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Last year over 250 militants were killed by the security forces, which included Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar-turned-militant commander Manan Wani and Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, who had an M.Phil and had qualified in the National Eligibility Test (NET). In 2017, security forces neutralised 217 ultras. 

However, despite an increase in encounters and killing of militants, Army maintains that recruitment of local youth into militancy has seen a decline in Kashmir during the recent months.