SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed in two gunfights in south and north Kashmir on Friday in which an Army Major and two policemen were also injured. Army, police and CRPF launched a joint operation at Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in the morning when militants fired on a search party.
“The militants were changing positions and gave a tough fight. In the ensuing gunfight, three militants were killed and an Army Major of 29 Rashtriya Rifles and two policemen got injured,” a police officer said. The Major was evacuated to Army hospital in Srinagar while the injured policemen were shifted to another hospital. The police officer said search operation was going on when reports last came in in the evening hours.
In the meantime, another gunfight erupted between militants and security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. A police officer said the gunfight broke out after militants fired on troops, who were conducting house to house searches at Babhara area in the afternoon. Police have inputs that two-three militants were trapped in the area where the gunfight was on till late evening.
Meanwhile, the J&K Police impounded nine vehicles after it was established that they were allegedly used in militancy incidents in different parts of the Valley. The seized vehicles include two private ambulances, three cars, a truck, two motorcycles and a scooty.
These vehicles, according to a police spokesperson, were used in transporation of militants and ammunition. He said the ambulances were used to ferry militants from Bijbehara Anantnag to Pandach area of Srinagar for carrying out the May 20 attack on BSF in which two jawans were martyred.
Another ambulance was used by militants to return to Bijbehara after carrying out the attack. “The ISJK militants involved in the attack were killed in two gunfights and the weapons snatched from the slain BSF personnel recovered,” the spokesperson said.