Srinagar: Two militants were killed in a gunfight with armed forces in Shatgund village of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Thursday.
A police official confirmed the killing of two militants in the gunfight that raged intermittently since 2:30 am in the village following a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO).
He said the identity of slain militants is being ascertained.
Further details are awaited.
Earlier, three militants were believed to have been trapped in the gunfight at Handwara, officials stated.
Giving details emerging from the site, police and other forces had cordoned off a village following intelligence inputs about presence of the militants, they said.
There was a lull in firing at around 9 AM, prompting the police to initiate search operation at the site, but the same had to be suspended after firing resumed after 15 minutes, the officials said.
Reports said that scholar-turned-militant, Manan Wani, who was enrolled as a PhD scholar with the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) and joined militant ranks in January this year, was also trapped in the gunfight.
Meanwhile, authorities have closed educational institutions in Kupwara district and suspended class work in educational institutions in parts of the Valley.
Meanwhile, clashes broke out near the gunfight area between protesters and armed forces. Reports said that protesters took to streets soon after the news of gunfight spread and pelted the forces deployed in the area with stones.
The forces responded by firing tear gas shells.
