A militant was killed on Sunday following a fresh gunfight at Zainpora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Two army personnel were killed and three others including an officer were injured during the initial phase of the gunfight which started late Saturday night.

“Two security personnel killed , while three others have been injured.  One militant has been eliminated and two are still hiding in adjoining house”,  J&K DGP SP Vaid said.

The gunfight had started last night and government forces including of army’s 3 RR, 55 RR and SOG had started searches to find the militant bodies.

However, this morning as the searches were going on, militants again opened fire which was retaliated by the forces, triggering off a fresh gunfight.

A police said that one militant has been killed so far and “his body is lying in the open field”. “We are unable to retrieve the body as the firing is underway from the both sides”.

Official sources said that the Joint team launched cordon-and-search operation at Astan Mohalla area of Awanura village in Zainpora Shopian following inputs about the presence of some militants on Saturday night.

As such the joint team was moving towards the target area, the militants in a bid to break the cordon fired upon them, triggering off a fierce encounter.

In the initial gunfight five soldiers including an army captain sustained injuries and were shifted to military hospital Badamibagh Srinagar. Two soldiers later succumbed to injuries, they said.

They said that during the gunfight, four houses were also damaged.

Meanwhile, the stone pelting clashes were going on in the area and forces used tear smoke shells to disperse them.

 More details awaited.

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