J-K police finds one body at encounter site, had claimed death of four militants

A day after it claimed that four militants have been killed in an encounter in Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said it had found only one body of an associate of terrorists from the site and is searching for other injured ultras.

The encounter had broken out during an operation carried put by Kulgam police, Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF following inputs that terrorists were planning to abduct and murder police personnel, a police spokesman said.

On Sunday, "at about 2000 hrs one of such patrolling parties of joint forces was attacked by terrorists numbering four to six in between villages Chehlan and Asthal," he said.

He said in the exchange of firing that ensued, one army officer received firearm injuries.

The security forces had "confirmed having hit two to four terrorists" in the exchange of fire that stopped around 2200 hrs, the spokesman said.

He said due to expansive area of search, undulating terrain and total darkness, it was decided to carry out search of the area after first light.

"When search started in the morning, dead body of an unknown terrorist associate along with a pistol and a grenade was recovered. Besides six SIM cards were also recovered from his pocket," he said.

A trail of blood was found leading out of the search area which proved that apart from the terrorist associate killed, one or more terrorists were injured. The search for injured terrorists continues, he added.

Meanwhile, three terrorists were killed on Monday in a separate encounter between militants and security forces in at Lower Munda in Qazigund area of the south Kashmir district, according to defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.