Srinagar: Three local militants associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba militant outfit and an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police, were killed in an encounter between militants and security forces in Srinagar outskirts on Sunday after the ultras fired on a 'naka' party of the forces on the outskirts of the city here on Saturday, police said.
The soldier has been identified as ASI Babu Ram of Jammu and Kashmir police.
Director-General of Police Dilbagh Singh after the wreath-laying ceremony of the slain police official said that among the three militants one was active for over a year.
He said the details of the two other killed militants will be "shared subsequently." He said one AK-47 rifle was recovered from the encounter site.
Singh said that the on Saturday late evening three bike-borne youth attempted to attack a security forces checkpoint at Pantha chowk in Srinagar outskirts.
"The bike-borne youth fired and tried to snatch the gun from security force personnel at the naka, but due to alertness of the security personnel their attempts failed," Singh said, adding they were chased down into a locality where they hid in a local house.
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The DGP said that during searches of the house the hiding militants fired which led to an encounter.
"In the encounter, three militants of LeT were killed among which one was a commander while the details of other two will be shared subsequently," Singh said.
About the ASI Babu Ram, he said that he was a trained police official who had participated in many anti-militancy operations, whose loss is big for security forces.
"We pay tributes to him," he said.
Ram belonged to Poonch district of Jammu region and was posted in Special Operations Group (SOG) of police on Srinagar from last many years.
Police sources said all the three militants were locals and belonged to Drangbal area of Pampore.
This is the second gunfight of the day in the Kashmir Valley.
Earlier in the day, three Hizbul Mujahideen militants and an Army jawan were killed in a gunfight in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
(With inputs from agencies and J&K Police Twitter)
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