Three militants behind the abduction and killing of a police constable were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, on Sunday, 22 July, Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said.
Constable Saleem Shah was abducted by militants from his residence in Mutalhama area of Kulgam in south Kashmir on Friday, 20 July and his body, bearing severe torture marks, was recovered on Sunday, 22 July.
“Three bodies of terrorists recovered with three weapons so far from encounter site,” Vaid wrote on Twitter.
Earlier, the DGP said the group behind the abduction and killing of the constable were trapped in the encounter at Khudwani in Kulgam district of south Kashmir.
“Terrorists group that tortured our colleague CT Mohd Saleem of Kulgam & killed him brutally are all trapped in an encounter with J&K Police/Army/CRPF in Khudwani Kulgam,” he said.
The encounter began on Sunday morning as security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khudwani after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area.
The search operation turned into a gun battle as the militants fired upon the search party of the forces who retaliated and in the ensuing gun fight, three militants were killed.
While the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras was yet to be ascertained, the police had on Sunday said the militants behind the abduction and killing of the constable belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen outfit.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)