3 terrorists killed as Valley encounter continues

Three terrorists were killed and two security forces personnel injured on Friday in an encounter in Lolab in Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said in Srinagar.

Three militants have been killed so far. The operation is still in progress, a senior police official said. Troops of 18 Rashtriya Rifles of the army and special operations group of local police launched a search-cum-cordon operation in Maidanpora village in Lolab, 120 kms from Srinagar, in the wee hours on Friday following information about presence of foreign militants, sources said.

There was no exchange of firing between the two sides as security forces wanted to ensure that all civilians are out of the building before start of an offensive.

While the menfolk had come out of the house soon after the security forces laid the cordon, the wife of the house owner and his daughter were trapped inside for more than an hour, the sources said.

The girl came out first from the house followed by her mother half-an-hour later, they said. As the woman came out to safety, the sources said, security forces began engaging the militants.

Two security force personnel have been injured so far in the gun battle which was going on till reports last came in, they added.

According to inmates of the house, five militants including a top commander of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, were holed up in the house.

With initial inputs from Mukhtar Ahmad