Jammu encounter ends as all three militants killed, hostages rescued

Jammu, Aug 28 : The last of the three militants, who were holed up in a house in Chinore on the outer-skirts of the city, was killed late last night, ending an 18-hour long gunbattle between them and security forces.

According to official sources, the militants killed three male hostages. But, the Army and security forces were able to rescue three women and four children aged between three and nine, who were used as human shields by militants during the encounter.

The militants were believed to be the same men who had infiltrated the international border under the cover of the indiscriminate firing from Pakistan troops at the Border Security Force (BSF) posts in Kana Chak area of Akhnoor sector near Jammu on Tuesday.

Before taking shelter in the house on Wednesday, the militants wearing police uniforms killed two civilians, a jawan and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) firing indiscriminately in the Mishriwala area on the outskirts of the city after sneaking into Jammu.

The Army confirmed the killing of two of the militants, the first around 11.:00 a.m. and the second at 7:30 p.m. The third was said to have been gunned down around midnight.

Meanwhile, normal life continued to remain paralysed in Jammu and Kashmir. Two protesters were killed and several others injured on Wednesday during clashes between unruly mobs and security forces at Badgam and Kupwara districts.

All the shops and business establishments remained closed and transport was off the roads in the Jammu region while curfew is being relaxed in a phased manner depending upon the situation in the Valley.

ANI