Encounter breaks out in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora between militants and security forces; one terrorist killed

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday morning, said media reports.

#BREAKING - Encounter rages on in Hajin Bandipora, J&K. One terrorist has been killed in the encounter. pic.twitter.com/rVEYaUztPI

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According to All India Radio, the encounter is underway in Shakurdin Mohalla of Hajin area of Bandipora district. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in village Shakurdin following information about presence of militants there, a police official said. He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened firing towards security forces. In a similar incident, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, believed to be from Pakistan, who was injured in a gunfight with security forces in Bandipora district on Monday, had succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_4324379” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] There was exchange of fire between the militants and the security forces in Bon Mollah village of Hajan in Bandipora district. After the firing stopped, a search was conducted, but no dead body was recovered, a police spokesman had said on Tuesday. Later, it was learnt that one LeT militant was injured in the encounter and on Tuesday morning, police came to know about the death of the said militant, he said. Since the body was already in the village, a request was made to the villagers to handover the body to police. However, the body was buried amidst a procession led by some miscreants. The police were ascertaining the identity of the militant who was understood to be not a local, the spokesman said, adding necessary legal action had also been initiated against the people who led the protest and instigated the public. With inputs from PTI