Shopian, May 6: Three newly recruited local Al-Badr militants were killed during a gunfight in Shopian district of south Kashmir on Thursday, police said.

One militant surrendered during the encounter, it said. 

A senior police officer said that three militants were killed in the gunfight which began during early Thursday morning.

Police identified the slain militants as Danish Mir, Mohd Umer Bhat both residents of Khajapora Shopian and Zaid Bashir Reshi resident of Raben Shopian. Another trapped militant Tauseef Ahmad surrendered before security forces.

According to police, a joint team of police, army’s 44 RR and 178 BN CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Kanigam area of Shopian. 

As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, triggering a gun battle.

“The hiding militants were given an opportunity to surrender. Their family members were also called to the encounter site to motivate and persuade them to surrender but only one surrendered,” said a police spokesman.

He added that the surrendered militant also appealed to his trapped companions to surrender, however, they turned down the offer and fired indiscriminately on a joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. 

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar congratulated the joint team of police and security forces for showing “utmost patience and exhibiting professionalism, which resulted in saving the life of a youth”. 

Meanwhile, security forces claimed that incriminating materials including arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter.

“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes.”

In this connection police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated.

Internet service was also snapped in Shopian district.