STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Three terrorists and a minor girl were on Wednesday killed in an encounter between the ultras and security forces in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.
The girl’s brother and a policeman were also injured in the encounter which started this morning.
Security forces this morning launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Kalaroos village of the district following specific intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area, a police official said.
He said as the forces were conducting the operation, the hiding terrorists fired upon them, triggering an encounter.
“Three terrorists have been killed in the encounter,” the official said, adding the three bodies and three weapons have also been recovered from the encounter site.
He said the identity of the slain terrorists is yet to be ascertained.
During the gunfight, the official said, a minor girl Kaniza (12) was hit by a “stray bullet” and died on the spot, while her brother Faisal was injured and has been rushed to a hospital for treatment.
He said a policeman was also injured in the initial gunfight.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said the three terrorists killed in the encounter belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and their identity is being ascertained.
He said police constable Danish Ahmad was injured in the encounter. The spokesman said the minor girl and boy were hit by stray bullets, more than 100 meters away from the encounter site.
While the girl died, the boy has been referred to a hospital here and his condition has been stated as stable, the spokesman said.
