3 militants killed in Kashmir gunfight

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir

Three militants were killed and seven civilians were injured in the Indian-administered Kashmir in two different violent incidents on Wednesday, regional police said.

Three militants belonging to Al-Badr militant group were killed and a civilian was also injured after a gunfight broke out between government forces and militants in the Tiken area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district early Wednesday.

Kashmir police in a tweet said: “03 militants are killed in the operation, the search is going on. The identification of the militants is yet to be ascertained."

Police sources said a joint party of police, Indian paramilitary forces, and the Indian army launched a search operation in the Tiken area in the early hours of Wednesday after receiving inputs about the presence of militants.

"As the security personnel were conducting house to house searches and zeroed-in on the target area, they came under fire from the hiding militants. The fire was returned by the forces, triggering an encounter," police said.

According to police sources, over 200 militants have been killed in the region so far this year, despite the pandemic. This includes chief commanders -- Riyaz Naikoo and Mir Saifullah.

Meanwhile, six civilians, including a woman and a non-local were injured in a grenade explosion on Wednesday in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

A police official said a grenade exploded in Singhpora market of the Pattan area, resulting in injuries to six civilians, including a woman.

The injured civilians were identified as Ghulam Mohammad Parray, Gulzar Ahmad Khan, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Zubair Ahmad Dar -- all residents of Singhpora, Baramulla district.

Tabassum Jan, a resident of the Doodipora Handwara area, and Farman Ali of the Indian state Uttar Pradesh were also identified among the injured.

The police say they have cordoned off the area to arrest the attackers.

Disputed region

Kashmir is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed both in full. A small sliver of Kashmir is also held by China.

Since they were partitioned in 1947, the two countries have fought three wars -- in 1948, 1965, and 1971 -- two of them over Kashmir.

Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting against Indian rule for independence, or unification with neighboring Pakistan.

According to several human rights organizations, thousands of people have reportedly been killed in the conflict in the region since 1989.