Three jawans martyred, 5 terrorists killed in gunbattle in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara

File photo (PTI)

New Delhi: At least three soldiers of Indian Army were martyred while five terrorists were gunned down on Sunday (April 5) during an anti-infiltration operation in Keran sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. The gunbattle between security forces and terrorists, which started on April 3, entered its third day today and is still underway.

The Army had earlier said in the day that alert troops braving inclement weather and hostile terrain had neutralisd five terrorists in the operation in Keran sector. 

The security forces have killed nine terrorists in Kashmir during the last 24 hours. Four terrorists belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were killed yesterday in an encounter with the security forces in Kulgam district. "Over the past 24 hours, Indian security forces have eliminated nine terrorists in J&K," a defence source told IANS earlier in the day. 

Among the nine, four Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were killed at Batpura area of South Kashmir on April 4. They were involved in the killing of civilians. The four Hizbul Mujahideen militants, according to the sources, were killed in day-long encounter.

"On specific intelligence, a joint operation by the CRPF and the SOG (Special Operations Group) Kulgam was launched in Kulgam. In a day-long encounter four hardcore militants of the HM group have been killed and large cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from them," the defence source said.

This group was allegedly involved in the recent incidents of civilian killings.

Militants killed in the Kulgam Encounter are identified as Aijaz Ahmed Naiko (Moosa) from Kulgam, active since 2018; Shahid Ahmed Malik (Kulgam) and active since 2019; Waqar Farooq from Kulgam and missing since last month; and M. Ashraf Malik (Sadam) from Anantnag.