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Srinagar: A total of nine militants, three army soldiers were killed, while four others were injured in two separate encounters in the last 24 hours in north and south Kashmir district.

Four militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed while an army trooper suffered injury in a gunfight that raged between forces and militants in Hardmanguri, Khur-Batpora in Damhal Hanjipora belt of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday. The gunfight broke out in Kulgam district after a gap of 10 months.

Officials identified the slain militants as Ashraf Malik from Arwani Bijbehara, Aijaz Nayak from Chimmer Kulgam, Shahid Malik from Khul DH Pora Kulgam and Waqar Ahmad from Chawalgam Kulgam.

In Kulgam gunfight, local reports suggested extensive damage to several houses after heavy explosive were used to over power the hiding militants.

On Sunday army claimed to have killed five militants along the line of control in Keran Sector in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Three soldiers were also killed in the ongoing operation, défense Spokesperson Rajesh Kaliya said.

Other than that, two army personnel allegedly shot themselves with their own service rifles in Bandipora district of North Kashmir and Samba district of Jammu. They were identified as Sepoy Satendra Kumar Tomar and Makhan Lal.