Anantnag, Feb 08: Unknown militants managed to escape after a brief exchange with security forces in Matipora area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, official sources said Monday.

Army’s 03 RR, CRPF and police on a tip-off, laid a cordon around Matipora village of Anantnag and started a combing operation.

The militants hiding in the village, they said, opened fire upon the joint team sparking off a brief exchange of fire.

“Search operation which continued for many hours has been called off,” they said.

The northern command of the Indian Army tweeted that a “speculative search operation” was launched in the area, some 5 kilometers from Khanabal town followed by a round of fire by the troops at 11 am. “The suspected militants fired back at 115 hours,” the army added—(KNO)