3 LeT militants gunned down in Pulwama

Srinagar: Three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including an ultra involved in a series of killings, were gunned down in the wee hours on Thursday in an encounter that lasted for over six hours in Pulwama district of south Kashmir

Majid Dar, one of the slain militants, was involved in a number of killings including that of sarpanch of Kakapora and district president of Pulwama, a police official said here

The encounter started Wednesday evening in Kakapora area of Pulwama following an intelligence input that three local boys, who had joined militant ranks in banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terror group, were holed up in a house located in a densely populated locality, the official said

This is the first successful counter-insurgency operation in Pulwama area which is believed to have large presence of local militants aided with a strong-network of over ground workers, he said

The successful operation is a big blow to the LeT terror outfit which recently lost its commander Junaid Mattoo in an encounter at Arwin village in Anantnag district of South Kashmir on June 17, he added

This is the second successful operation against the terror outfit within three days

On Wednesday, two militants were killed in an encounter in Sopore township of Baramulla district in north Kashmir.