Three TRF militants killed, 2 soldiers injured in Kulgam encounter

Srinagar, Jun 30 (UNI) As many as three TRF militants were on Wednesday killed and two Army soldiers injured in an encounter which ensued after security forces launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
A police official said that following specific information about the presence of militants, a joint CASO was launched by Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police, 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and 18 battalion of CRPF at Chimmer area in Kulgam on Wednesday.
However, when security forces were moving towards the target area, militants hiding there fired at them with automatic weapons, resulting in injuries to two Army soldiers. “The security forces retaliated ensuing in an encounter,” he said.
The official said the injured soldiers were airlifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar.
The bodies of all the three militants, who were killed during the exchange of fire, were recovered from the encounter site. “The slain have been identified as Waseem Ahmad Bangroo, Shahnawaz Ahmad and Zakir Bashir,” he said, adding the militants were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (self claimed The Resistance Force).
Militant Zakir Bashir had recently joined the proscribed outfit. “As per police records, all the killed militants were part of the group involved in various militant related activities,” he said.
The police official said that some incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the encounter site. “In this connection the police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” he added.