J&K: Three militants killed in fresh encounter with security forces in Baramulla

Three militants were killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and militants at the Hathlanga area of Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district close to the Line of Control on Saturday.

The encounter started during a search operation jointly carried out but the Army and Kashmir Police in the area. The police also added that the search for the rest of the terrorists are going on.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Kashmir zone police confirmed that the encounter broke out in Hathlanga in Baramulla's Uri.

"Encounter has started between #terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in #Baramulla district. Further details shall follow", read the post on X.

Later, police again said in a post on X that another militant was killed in the firefight. After a few hours, third militant was also killed in the encounter. There is no information yet on whether the militants killed had freshly infiltrated or were operating in the area. 

Hathlanga is a remote village near the LoC around 10 km from Uri town. The village falls beyond the anti-infiltration fence at the LoC. Due to lack of proper amenities, the villagers in the area dependent on the Army for emergencies. The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is visible from the village. The villagers generally work as porters for the Army. Some men also work in the Army and para-military like BSF and CRPF. The villagers mostly grow maize, some cereals and a few vegetables. They also raise cattle and sheep for survival.

The encounter comes at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists, who have taken positions in the forest area. Drones were deployed in the area to locate the terrorists. 

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar had said that the operation was launched based on specific inputs. 

The recent Anantnag encounter has claimed three lives--Major Ashish Dhonchak, 19 Rashtriya Rifles Commanding Officer Col Manpreet Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier. The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area after the incident.

The Army officials were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district.