<p>Two militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit and a civilian were killed in a gunfight between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.</p>.<p>Police said based on a specific input about the presence of militants in Amshipora, Shopian, a joint operation was launched during the intervening night of February 24 and 25.</p>.<p>“After a cluster of houses were taken into cordon, following the drill civilians were evacuated to safety. Thereafter, house to house searches were started in the wee hours to locate the hiding militants,” a police spokesperson said.</p>.<p>During the searches, he said the militants came out and “resorted to indiscriminate firing in which one civilian identified as Shakeel Ahmed Khan of Amshipora got seriously wounded.”</p>.<p>The injured civilian while being evacuated for medical help succumbed to the injuries, police said.</p>.<p>The fire by the militants, police said, was retaliated in which two ultras identified as Muzamil Mir and Shariq Ayoob, both locals and affiliated with the LeT were killed.</p>.<p>“Muzamil was involved in several militant crimes. Incriminating materials including one AK 56 rifle and one pistol and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site,” police added.</p>.<p>On February 19, two soldiers and a LeT militant were killed in a similar encounter in the same district. 27 militants, including eight from Pakistan, have been killed in Kashmir this year in 16 ant-terror operations while last year 171 ultras were neutralized.</p>.<p>Besides, the security forces have also arrested 14 active militants this year along with 23 over ground workers (OGWs). The police categorize “anybody who supports the militants” as an OGW. A person providing a safe house, passage, information or acting as a messenger for suspected militants automatically comes under the radar of the police as an OGW.</p>.<p>According to police figures, 156 ultras, including 73 foreigners, were active in Kashmir on December 31. This is for the first time that the number of active militants in the Valley has come down to less than 200 since the insurgency erupted in Kashmir in 1990.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>
<p>Two militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit and a civilian were killed in a gunfight between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Friday.</p>.<p>Police said based on a specific input about the presence of militants in Amshipora, Shopian, a joint operation was launched during the intervening night of February 24 and 25.</p>.<p>“After a cluster of houses were taken into cordon, following the drill civilians were evacuated to safety. Thereafter, house to house searches were started in the wee hours to locate the hiding militants,” a police spokesperson said.</p>.<p>During the searches, he said the militants came out and “resorted to indiscriminate firing in which one civilian identified as Shakeel Ahmed Khan of Amshipora got seriously wounded.”</p>.<p>The injured civilian while being evacuated for medical help succumbed to the injuries, police said.</p>.<p>The fire by the militants, police said, was retaliated in which two ultras identified as Muzamil Mir and Shariq Ayoob, both locals and affiliated with the LeT were killed.</p>.<p>“Muzamil was involved in several militant crimes. Incriminating materials including one AK 56 rifle and one pistol and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site,” police added.</p>.<p>On February 19, two soldiers and a LeT militant were killed in a similar encounter in the same district. 27 militants, including eight from Pakistan, have been killed in Kashmir this year in 16 ant-terror operations while last year 171 ultras were neutralized.</p>.<p>Besides, the security forces have also arrested 14 active militants this year along with 23 over ground workers (OGWs). The police categorize “anybody who supports the militants” as an OGW. A person providing a safe house, passage, information or acting as a messenger for suspected militants automatically comes under the radar of the police as an OGW.</p>.<p>According to police figures, 156 ultras, including 73 foreigners, were active in Kashmir on December 31. This is for the first time that the number of active militants in the Valley has come down to less than 200 since the insurgency erupted in Kashmir in 1990.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos</strong></p>