Five militants and their associates were held on Tuesday in Kashmir as two modules of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Al-Badr outfits were busted. Meanwhile, militants managed to escape from an encounter site in Pulwama.

A police spokesman said two militant associates were arrested in south Kashmir’s Awantipora.

“Acting on specific information, the Awantipora Police and security forces held the two militant associates at Ladhoo crossing when the duo were travelling on a two-wheeler from Shopian to Khrew,” the police said.

The police identified them as Rayees-ul-Hassan and Mushtaq Ahmad Mir. “Incriminating material of the Al-Bader has been recovered apart from ₹6 lakh in currency,” the police added.

The two- wheeler has also been seized, the police added.

In another operation in Central Kashmir's Ganderbal, three militants of the Hizb were held. The police identified them as Arshid Ahmad Khan, Majid Rasool Rather and Muhammad Asif Najar.

“They have come in contact with Pakistan-based militant Kashmiri Fayaz Khan from Chanhar Gutlibagh. He had tasked them to take up militant activities in the area,” the police said.

The police said electronic gadgets and three hand grenades were recovered from them.

Militants escape

In Pulwama, security forces called off operations after a group of militants managed to escape from an encounter site.

The encounter with these militants broke out on Tuesday morning at Marwal area. “No contact was established later in the area and the operation was called off,” an official said.

Three photojournalists alleged they were thrashed by the security forces near the encounter site.

One injured photojournalist Kamran Yousuf was shifted to Srinagar. “I was taking pictures when I was attacked and brutally beaten up by policemen, who were accompanying a deputy superintendent of police. There were at least ten policemen who pounced on me and hit me with rifle butts without any reason,” Mr. Yousuf said.

He said he received “serious injuries” and added, “My body feels completely broken. I am in severe pain.”

The Kashmir Press Club and the Kashmir Editors Guild condemned the police action against journalists covering the encounter.

“We demand strong action against the policemen involved in today's incident and urge the top brass of the J&K police and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to take note of such difficulties media persons face while delivering their duties on the ground,” a KPC spokesman said.