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Kulgam, Jun 30: Three militants of Lashker-e-Toiba were killed and two soldiers injured in a gunfight in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.

“Acting on a specific information generated by Police about presence of (militants) in Chimmer area of Kulgam, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 18Bn CRPF and 09RR in the area,” a police spokesman said in a statement.

During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained, he said, they were repeatedly appealed to surrender. However, he said, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search parties in which two Army soldiers were injured and airlifted to Srinagar based Army hospital. “The joint team also retaliated, leading to an encounter.”

In the ensuing gunfight, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved. They have been identified as Waseem Ahmad Bangroo of Redwani Kulgam, Shahnawaz Ahmad of Kilbal Shopian and Zakir Bashir of Chimmer Kulgam. “All the killed (militants) were affiliated with the LeT outfit ( self claimed TRF).”

Regarding Zakir Bashir, the spokesman said he had recently joined the outfit.

“As per police records, all the killed (militants) were part of group involved in various incidents.

Incriminating material including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter.”