One of them had joined militant ranks four days ago

Shopian: After 53 days of relative calm but many cordon and search operations in the area, government forces trapped and killed three local militants, including one who had joined ranks four days ago, at Badigam village, some 12 kilometers from district headquarters Shopian, on Friday.
Police sources said that a cordon and search operation was launched by a joint team of government forces including 44 Rashtriya Rifles of army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and 178th battalion of central reserve police force (CRPF) on Thursday evening after ‘credible inputs about the presence of militants in the village’. They said that soon after the cordon was laid around the suspected area, the forces started door-to-door searches and contact with militants was established at about 11:30 pm in the night.
The operation continued till the morning, though according to police all three militants were killed by 4 am of Friday morning and their arms and ammunition had been retrieved.
A residential house was destroyed in the military operation, locals said.
Locals said that there was movement of government forces in the village since Thursday evening before they started the search operation. They said that heavy exchange of fire was heard in the pre-dawn hours of Friday.
Since last week, government forces have carried out many search operations in neighbouring villages and other parts of Shopian district. It is believed that the earlier searches were carried out to make militants change their location and thereby get trapped in the forces’ net.
The slain militants were identified as Suhail Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Turkawangam village of Shopian, Mudasir Ahmad Wagay, resident of Cheki-Sangran village of Shopian, and Asif Ahmad Dar, resident of Samboora village of district Pulwama.
Mudasir according to natives of his village had gone missing on 15th of this month and his family had filed a missing report with police on the 17th. On the 18th he was trapped at Badigam.
Meanwhile, mobile internet services were barred in the district on Thursday night.
A shutdown was observed by people in the area against the killing of the trio by the government forces.

Raashid Hassan