Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): Four unidentified militants have been killed in an encounter at Mehloora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, police officials said today.
Acting on a tip-off, joint teams of police, army and CRPF laid a siege in Mehloora village of Shopian late on Tuesday evening. “There were specific inputs about the presence of militants in the village. A multi-layer cordon was laid to ensure militants don’t flee,” a police officer told NVI, requesting anonymity.
He said that searches were intensified and with the first light of the day, hiding militants fired a volley of bullets at the security forces triggering a fierce encounter. “In the initial exchange of fire, two militants were killed while as two others continued to fire from different locations,” the officer said.
In the morning, the security forces launched the final assault and killed two more militants.
“In total four militants have been killed in the encounter. The firing has stopped and the area is being sanitised,” the officer said, adding that search operation is on in the area.
“It was a clean operation without any collateral damage,” he said.
He said that the identity and affiliation of the slain militants is being ascertained.
Kashmir zone police tweeted, “Four unidentified militants killed. Arms and ammunition recovered. Operation over.”
Locals of Mehloora said the house where militants were hiding was razed to ground completely.
Police urged people not to go closer to the encounter spot till the area is properly sanitised.
