Two militants killed, 3 security personnel injured in Bandipora encounter

Srinagar, Jul 24: Two unidentified militants were killed and three security personnel were injured in an encounter in north Kashmir district of Bandipora on Saturday, official sources said.

Troops of 13 and 14 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Shokbaba forest Sumblar in Bandipora early this morning following a specific information about presence of militants.

When the security forces were moving into the forest area, militants hiding there opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons, a police spokesman said. Security forces also retaliated ensuing in an encounter in which two militants were so far killed. The identity of the slain militant was being ascertained, he said.

Sources said three security personnel were injured who were shifted to hospital.

The operation was still going on when the reports last came in, they said.