Acting on specific information about presence of terrorists, a joint party of police, CRPF and army laid siege around Turkawangam village in Shopian to track down the terrorists hiding there

SRINAGAR: Three terrorists were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday. At least 17 terrorists have been killed in militancy-hit Shopian district since June 6.

Acting on specific information about presence of terrorists, a joint party of police, CRPF and army laid siege around Turkawangam village in Shopian in wee hours of Tuesday to track down the terrorists hiding there, a police officia said.

Adding that while the security men were zeroing-in on a target house, they came under gunfire from terrorists hiding in the area, which was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter.

Kalia said that the operation was going on when reports last poured in.

“Security forces have recovered two AK-47 rifles and an INSAS rifle from the encounter site,” Kalia said.

A police official said the identity of the deceased terrorists was being ascertained.

With today’s gunfight, 17 terrorists have been killed in four gunfights in Shopian since June 6.

Shopian along with three other south Kashmir districts of Anantnag, Pulwama and Kulgam has emerged as a stronghold of terrorists after the killing of Hizb commander Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016. 

Most of the encounters and local recruitments since 2016 have taken place in south Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by resorting to unprovoked firing towards Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Tuesday, a defence spokesperson said.

The Indian Army gave a befitting response to the Pakistani aggression, he said.

"On 16 June 2020, in the morning hours, Pakistan initiated an unprovoked Ceasefire Violation (CFV) along the LoC in Tangdhar (in north Kashmir's Kupwara district) by firing mortars and other weapons," defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said.

There have been no reports of any casualties so far.