Srinagar: Three militants were killed while as an army major and a soldier besides two civilians including a woman were injured as the gunfight which broke out at Melhoora area of Shopian district of south Kashmir came to an end on Wednesday.

The civilians were injured near the encounter site and one of them, a woman—Shahnaza Bano, was hit with a bullet in her both legs.

Reports said that the operation which was launched by a joint team of army, SOG and CRPF at Melhoora village on Tuesday evening was called off today afternoon after recovering the bodies of the slain militants.

A senior police officer said a Cordon-and-search operation was launched in the area following specific inputs about the presence of some militants.

He also confirmed the recovery of the three militant bodies.

‘The operation was suspended throughout the night and resumed at first light,” he said.
In the fresh exchange of the gunfight, the only holed up militant was killed in the morning. Two other had been “neutralized” yesterday and one of the bodies was recovered then, he said.

“Two militant bodies, one from under the debris and another from beneath a varranda, were recovered today,” he said.

The officer said that in the operation one army major and a soldier suffered injuries.

Regarding injuries to the civilians near the gunfight site, he said that a woman Shahnaza Bano wife of Farooq Ahmad Koka suffered bullet wounds in her both legs and was shifted to a nearby hospital wherefrom she was referred to SMHS hospital Srinagar for specialized treatment.

Another civilian Asif Ahmad Reshi son of Nissar Reshi of Watchi, according to reports, suffered pellet wounds after police and paramilitary forces chased a group of youth near the encounter site. (GNS)