In two separate encounters in Srinagar and Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir police have killed three terrorists since Thursday evening. Inspector-General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar said a terrorist who was killed in a brief gunfight in the Bemina area of Srinagar yesterday evening has been identified and was relative of one of the accused in the Lethpora attack.

“Terrorist killed in Srinagar encounter identified as Aamir Riyaz of Khrew Pulwama, affiliated with terrorist outfit Mujahideen Gazwatul Hind. He was a relative of one of the accused of Lethpora terrorist Attack and was assigned to carry out fidayeen attack, Kumar tweeted from the official handle.

A letter pad in the name of the same outfit and not verified independently claimed three fighters of the Fidayeen squad have taken positions in a CRPF camp and SDPO office in Bemina. Police and CRPF officials however debunked the claim and said one terrorist has been killed and gun battle is over.

In another encounter in the Chawalgam area of Kulgam, two terrorists of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit were killed in a gunfight that started on Thursday. A senior police officer said two terrorists were killed in an encounter in Chawalgam who were affiliated with Hizb. Sources identified them as Sheeraz Maulvi and Yawar. Sheeraz, they said, was a top commander of Hizbul Mujahedeen from 2016

The officer said one terrorist was killed last night but the operation had to be stopped as per the standard operating procedure. He said early morning today when the operation resumed, the terrorist was killed.

In the last month, more than 20 terrorists have been killed after the killings of 15 civilians. Early this week, a cop and a salesman working in a shop of Kashmiri Pandit businessman were shot in Srinagar.