Srinagar, Dec 8:Two militants were killed while SOG man and a soldier were injured in an ongoing gunfight at Mujgund on Srinagar-Bandipora road on Saturday.
The encounter ensued late in the afternoon when a joint team of army’s 5 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at Mujgund following inputs about the presence of some militants.
As the joint team zeroed in on a suspected house, militants hiding inside opened fire which was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off a fierce gunfight, an official told GNS.
The gunfight continued even after there were intervals of lull, the official said.
A soldier and an SOG man were injured during the course of the gunfight and have been removed to a hospital, he said.
A senior police officer, as per GNS, said that two militant bodies were visible but have not been retrieved so far.
The firing has stopped as of now and searches are being launched to retrieve the bodies, he said.
“There were inputs about the presence of three militants. While two militants have been killed, the fate of another one is unknown so far,” the officer said.
As per unconfirmed reports, the slain militants included a 14-year-old boy as well. The same however could not be verified independently.
Meanwhile, sources said that the three residential houses have suffered damages, one of them substantially. On Twitter, police confirmed that an exchange of fire took place between the militants and the forces in Mujgund on Bandipora road.
As per reports, five forces’ personnel included an army man, CRPF man and three Special Operations Group (SOG) personnel were wounded in the gunfight.
Local reports said that four houses were blasted by the forces during the gunfight. They said sound of huge blasts was heard in the area.
‘230 militants killed in 2018, 240 still active’
Srinagar, Dec 8: Over 230 militants have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir this year so far, while as 240 including foreign militants are active in the state , officials said Saturday.
As many as 51 militants were killed in the 80-day period from June 25 to September 14, while 85 militants were killed between September 15 and December 5, an official told PTI.
The official further said that a total of 232 militants have been killed so far this year, while 240 militants, including foreigners, are active in the Kashmir Valley.
Eight people, including forces personnel, were killed and 216 others, including government forces, received injuries between June 25 and September 14 this year.
In the subsequent 80 days — from September 15 to December 5 — just two people were killed and 170 others received injuries during stone throwing incidents, the official said.
In the last one decade of conflict in Kashmir, highest number of people have been killed in 2018 so far. Around 529 people have lost lives till November and nearly 3250 people have been killed in the last one decade. (PTI)
