J-K: Three militants gunned down in Awantipora encounter

At least three militants were gunned down in a joint operation launched by Police and security forces here in Awantipora's Tral on Thursday morning.

"As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the terrorists. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were neutralized and the bodies were recovered from the site of encounter. The killed terrorists have been identified as Zubair Ahmad Bhat @Abu Huraira son of Bashir Ahmad Bhat resident of Chursoo Awantipora, Adfar Fayaz Parray @Abu Zarrar son of Fayaz Ahmad Parray resident of Gulshanpora Tral and Tawseef Ahmad Thoker @Abu Talha son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-deen Thoker resident of Chursoo Bunpora Awantipora," an official statement said.

Elaborating about the incident and revealing identities of the terrorists, the statement further stated: "All the three killed terrorists were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities. It was a combined group of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and as per police records Zubair was affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM while Adfar and Tawseef were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HM."

Police have registered a case and initiated the investigation in the matter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken for further investigation to find their complicity in other terror cases.

Police have requested citizens to cooperate and to not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can be proved dangerous due to stray explosive materials.