Jammu and Kashmir‬, ‪Tral‬, ‪Pulwama district‬, ‪Srinagar‬, ‪Militant‬‬

Three militants of Zakir Musa-led Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfit were killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in volatile Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Wednesday.

Sources said based on a specific input about the presence of four to five militants, troops of army's 42-Rashtriya Rifles battalion CRPF 180 battalion and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police cordoned off Gulab Bagh area of Tral, 32 km from here, on Wednesday afternoon.

"The militants were taking a bath when they were zeroed in by security forces. As the security forces were zeroing in on the militants, intense gunfire raged between the two sides. While two militants were killed near bathing spot, one managed to enter a house nearby. However he too was shot dead," they said.

The slain militants have been identified as Zahid Ahmed Bhat from NawdalTral, Ishfaq Ahmed from Batgund Tral and Ashraf Dar from Trich, Pulwama. While Zahid and Ishaq had joined militancy in 2015, Ashraf followed them in September 2016. 

Sources said the operation was on as security forces suspect presence of two more militants in the area. Earlier, rumors were flying thick and fast that Global terror outfit al Qaeda cell Ghazwat ul-Hind chief Zakir Musa was trapped in the encounter.

However, officials didn't confirm it and even the group affiliation of the slain militants wasn't revealed by the police. The slain militants were seen in photographs of Zakir Musa with his group, which were released recently.

A senior police officer said the slain militants could be local cadres of Musa group. "The trio till recently were working for Hizbul Mujahideen outfit led by Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based Syed Salahuddin. However, they changed the loyalties recently to Musa group. The current trend shows a clear disaffection among cadres of existing militant outfits, and Musa's appeal among them," he revealed.

Meanwhile, reports said, as the word spread about the killing of three local militants, people took to streets in several areas of Tral and Pulwama and pelted stones on security forces. An official said that mobile Internet services were suspended in Pulwama district to prevent the “spreading of rumours.”

With militancy, especially home grown, on rise, security forces have launched a massive operation to flush out the ultras. Nearly 130 militants, including top commanders Abu Dujana, Bashir Lashkari and Junaid Mattoo, have been killed so far this year in the Valley, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a “hit list” of militants. 

In the first nine-days of this month, 22 people, including 17 militants, three civilians and two army personnel have been killed in militancy related incidents.