Three militants were killed in two separate encounters in Kashmir on Friday. A minor was also found dead at one of the encounter site.

A police official said the encounter in Bandipora’s Hajin, which started on Thursday morning, has concluded. “Two militants were killed in the operation,” said Army spokesperson Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

Two AK-47 rifles were also recovered, said the police official.

Preliminary reports suggest that the two militants belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and one of them was a ‘commander’.

“A minor, around 12 years old, was also found dead at the encounter site,” said the police.

The Hajin operation ran into a hostage crisis on Thursday. Locals helped the security forces in rescuing two persons from the house where the militants were hiding. The operation resumed on Friday morning and ended soon. Later, three bodies were recovered from the spot.

One killed in Shopian

The Army said that in an operation launched by security forces at Shopian in south Kashmir, one militant was killed in Ratnipora area.

“One militant was killed and the operation is in progress,” said Colonel Kalia.

However, police official said two militants were presumed dead as firing had stopped at the encounter site.

The operation witnessed a protest near the encounter site. Security forces used smoke shells to disperse the protesters.

Militants identified

The police said they had identified the two militants killed in Baramulla on Thursday.

“One is Aamir Rasool from Sopore and the other a Pakistani national,” said a police spokesperson. The police said they were affiliated to Jaish-e-Muhammad.

“Arms and ammunition, including AK 47 rifles, were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror cases,” said the police.