Militants, security forces engage in gun battle in south Kashmir

An encounter is on between militants and security forces in Qazigund area of south Kashmir since Monday morning.

Official sources told The Hindu that troops of Rashtriya Rifles 9th battalion along with Special Operations Group of Anantnag and Kulgam district police launched a cordon-and-search operation at Seimpora, Qazigund, after receiving specific information about some militants’ presence at the house of Ghulam Mohammad Parray.

During the operation, the holed up militants engaged the police and the security forces in a gunfight and attempted to escape.

“The encounter has begun at 9:40 a.m. We have cordoned off the locality,” Deputy Inspector General in South Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said from the spot on telephone.

He could not say anything more as the gun battle intensified.