J&K: Two soldiers martyred, four Hizbul terrorists killed in Kulgam, encounter underway

Three army jawans were martyred and four Hizbul Mujahideen militants have been killed in an ongoing encounter in south Kashmir`s today.

Jammu: Two army jawans were martyred and four Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed by security forces in an ongoing encounter in the Nowpora Yaripora area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Sunday.

Personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir police's Special Operation group and the Indian Army cordoned off the village of Nowpora in the wee hours today after receiving specific inputs about presence of the militants in the village.

The security forces surrounded Fraesal village following a tip-off about the militants hiding in a house. 

As the forces neared the house where the militants were hiding, they came under gunfire, leading to a gunfight. One police personnel also sustained injuries in the operation.

"When the militants were challenged, they fired at the forces which triggered the gunfight," the police said.

Bodies of both the terrorists have been recovered. The militants have been identified as Mudasir Tantary and Mohd. Hashim. Both are believed to be associated with the Hizbul Mujahideen. Two rifles along with other arms and ammunition have been recovered from the killed militants.

According to reports, the security forces have launched a manhunt to nab three other terrorists who have been injured in the gunbattle and are hiding.

Three civilians and three soldiers were also injured in the fighting.

"Different unconfirmed figures on casualties of security forces and terrorists are doing rounds. Operation in Kulgam (J&K) is still on," an Army official told media.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, while condemning the Kulgam encounter, accused Pakistan as an 'epicenter of terrorism'. 

Singh said sooner or later the same terrorism night also threaten to consume the soil from which it originates. 

"There have been a series of evidence and it's no longer a secret that the entire terrorism on the Indian soil, particularly in the state of Jammu and Kashmir is promoted and exported from Islamabad," he told the media.

Singh further stated that now the entire world is coming round to the Modi government that Pakistan must contain the export of terrorism from its soil.

"The sooner it does the better it will be not only for Indian subcontinent but for Pakistan as well", he added. 

The encounter is currently underway. Details awaited.