<p>Three local militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the Sugan area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday.</p>.<p>The encounter erupted after security forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Sugan village of Shopian, 56 km from here, following a tip-off about the presence of militants on Tuesday evening, a police spokesperson said.</p>.<p>The hiding militants were repeatedly asked to surrender, however, they refused to do so and fired upon the search party, he said. The operation was suspended late at night on Tuesday due to darkness.</p>.<p>However, the operation resumed at the first light this morning and all the three militants were killed, the spokesperson added.</p>.<p>The slain militants were identified as Sajad Malla, Junaid Rasheed and Mehraj-ud-Din, all locals. As a precautionary measure, internet services were suspended in Shopian district.</p>.<p>On Tuesday night a militant and a policeman were killed when ultras attacked a Bhartiya Janata Party worker in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The BJP worker escaped unhurt in the attack, while his personal security officer (PSO) sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to them in a hospital.</p>.<p>In relentless anti-insurgency operations, security forces have killed nearly 190 militants, including 22 foreigners, in 75 operations across Jammu and Kashmir this year. As many as 157 militants were killed in Kashmir in 2019 while the number was 257 in 2018 which was the highest in a decade.</p>.<p>In 2019, out of 157 slain militants, 32 were Pakistanis and the majority of them 19 belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit. In 2019, local militants accounted for 79% of deaths in encounters while the number has grown to 88% this year.</p>
<p>Three local militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the Sugan area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday.</p>.<p>The encounter erupted after security forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Sugan village of Shopian, 56 km from here, following a tip-off about the presence of militants on Tuesday evening, a police spokesperson said.</p>.<p>The hiding militants were repeatedly asked to surrender, however, they refused to do so and fired upon the search party, he said. The operation was suspended late at night on Tuesday due to darkness.</p>.<p>However, the operation resumed at the first light this morning and all the three militants were killed, the spokesperson added.</p>.<p>The slain militants were identified as Sajad Malla, Junaid Rasheed and Mehraj-ud-Din, all locals. As a precautionary measure, internet services were suspended in Shopian district.</p>.<p>On Tuesday night a militant and a policeman were killed when ultras attacked a Bhartiya Janata Party worker in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The BJP worker escaped unhurt in the attack, while his personal security officer (PSO) sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to them in a hospital.</p>.<p>In relentless anti-insurgency operations, security forces have killed nearly 190 militants, including 22 foreigners, in 75 operations across Jammu and Kashmir this year. As many as 157 militants were killed in Kashmir in 2019 while the number was 257 in 2018 which was the highest in a decade.</p>.<p>In 2019, out of 157 slain militants, 32 were Pakistanis and the majority of them 19 belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit. In 2019, local militants accounted for 79% of deaths in encounters while the number has grown to 88% this year.</p>
