4 terrorists killed in Shopian encounter; 2 soldiers die in road accident

Four Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Thursday, while two Army personnel lost their lives as their vehicle met with an accident on the way to the site of the gunbattle, officials said.

On receiving information about the presence of terrorists at Badigam in Shopian's Zainapora area, the security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation, a police official said.

During the operation, the terrorists fired upon the forces, which led to an encounter, he added.

In the exchange of fire, four terrorists were killed, the official said.

Inspector general of police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the slain ultras were members of proscribed terror outfit LeT.

"LeT #terrorists neutralised in today's #encounter were active in Shopian & adjacent areas of Pulwama. They were involved in 6 #terror crimes including attacks on outside labourers. Hunt for their associates like Aijaz of Pulwama is on & they will be neutralised soon," Kumar wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, two Army personnel were killed and two injured when their vehicle met with an accident on the way to the encounter site, the official said.

"An Army party of 44 Rashtriya Rifles was going towards the encounter site at Badigam, Zainapora in a Sumo, when the vehicle overturned near Chowgam, Shopian, due to which two Army personnel died and two got injured," he said.