Kulgam: Militants have apparently managed to escape after a brief gunfight with joint team of police and army at ChakiSamad village of Damhal Hanjipora in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district at around dawn, officials said on Saturday.

The encounter broke out at around 4 a.m after a joint team of Police and Army launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area, they said.

A police official said that as the joint team approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering off the gunfight.

A senior police officer told GNS that there was a lull following which massive searches were launched. He said there was no second contact established with militants nor was anyone arrested, suggesting that the militant fled from the spot taking advantage of the darkness. He however said that searches in the area were still going on.

Earlier, a Lashkar-e-Toiba commander was killed in an encounter at Sirhama area of Southern Anantnag district.
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told GNS that LeT commander Nisar Ahmad Dar of Redwani Bala Kulgam has been killed in Sirhama.

The top cop said that killed militant was involved in several cases and killings in the area. He was active since 6th May 2021, he said.

Earlier a joint team of Police and army had launched a cordon and search operation in the area, eventually leading to encounter.