SRINAGAR: An unidentified militant was killed in a gunbattle with security forces in north Kashmir's Kupwara today, the seventh ultra to be killed in three encounters in the district since yesterday.
The fresh encounter broke out in Petha Wadar forest area of Handwara this morning, an army official said.
A search operation was launched by a joint team of police and army after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area. The hiding militants fired upon them, triggering an encounter in which the militant was killed. He said the operation was on when reports last came in.
Today’s encounter is the third in Kupwara district since yesterday in which a total of seven militants have been killed so far.
Yesterday, three militants were killed in an encounter in Dobwan forests of Lolab area of the district.
In another gunfight last evening in Waterkhani forests of Drugmulla area of the district, another three militants were killed by the security forces.
Meanwhile, security forces today averted a tragedy after detecting and defusing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) here.
An IED weighing five kgs, planted in a rice cooker, was detected by police near a flyover at Hyderpora in Srinagar this morning, a police official said.
He said the IED was destroyed by a bomb disposal squad.