Security officer and 3 militants killed in Kashmir

Srinagar, Mar 20 (UNI) A security force officer and three militants were killed in a fierce encounter in north Kashmir district of Kupwara, official sources said.

They said troops of 18 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police launched a joint operation at Chuntimarg Loalab in the frontier district of Kupwara early this morning.

When the security forces were about to storm a particular house, they came under heavy fire from militants. The fire was returned and three militants were killed. A security force officer was also wounded critically after he was hit by a bullet. Later, he died on his way to hospital.

A defence ministry spokesman confirming that three militants were killed said we also suffered a casuality.

The operation was still going on, he said.

UNI