Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Another encounter between militants and security forces is underway in Babhara area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police officials said.
This is the second encounter since morning in Kashmir. Earlier, an encounter started in Pattan area of north Kashmir where one unidentified militant has been while an army officer sustained injuries. The Pattan gunfight was still underway when this report was filed.
On the fresh Pulwama encounter, a security official said that a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint teams of forces moved towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
A senior police officer said that an exchange of fire between forces and militants was on. Sources said that two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area.
This year, over 160 militants have been killed in various encounters. According to IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and other outfits were among the terrorists eliminated by forces and this has created a leadership vacuum in the militant ranks in the Valley.
-ARK
