Srinagar: Government forces late Wednesday night killed a newly-recruited militant in a brief gunfight at Kakapora area of Pulwama district in southern Kashmir.

Police said that the slain militant was involved in an attack at Pattan in northern Kashmir earlier in the day.

“A militant was intercepted around 11:45 pm during a naka in Dobgam village of Kakapora who opened fire on the forces. In the ensuing shootout the militant was killed,” a police source said.

The slain militant has been identified as Showkat Ahmad Bhat, who had joined militant ranks on October 2. He was a pharmacy student at Kashmir University.

Bhat, a resident of Padgampora in Awantipora was associated with Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen.