Three Army personnel killed in encounter

Shrinagar, May 24: Three Army personnel were killed in an encounter with militants in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Friday, additional security forces have been rushed to the area and a manhunt has been launched to track down the militants.

An Army spokesman said the troops had launched an anti-insurgency operation in Buchoo village in Tral area of Pulwama, 40 kms from Srinagar, following a tip off about presence of militants in the area.

 "As the troops were laying the cordon around the village, the militants hiding in the nearby forest opened firing, resulting in death of the three jawans," the spokesman said.

He said additional security forces have been rushed to the area and a manhunt has been launched to track down the militants.

Further details of the operation were awaited. There were unconfirmed reports that the militants fled from the scene along with the service rifles of the slain jawans.
Meanwhile, a top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, who was involved in the killing of several civilians in Pattan and Sopore area of north Kashmir, was on Thursday killed in an encounter with police in old city area.

On a tip off about presence of self-styled LeT commander Hilal Molvi in the area, police laid a cordon around Narparistan in Fatehkadal area of the city in the wee hours.

As the police personnel were zeroing in on the target house, the militant fired on them.The cops returned the fire, triggering a brief gun battle, which ended with the killing of the militant, police said.

Three policemen including an officer sustained injuries in the operation, they said. Molvi, a resident of Pattan area in Baramulla district, had taken refuge in the city as security forces had stepped up heat on militants in the district over the past two months.

The slain militant was involved in the killing of several civilians in Pattan and Sopore area of north Kashmir.