A group of militants opened fire at a Police team near Ban Toll Plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH) in Jammu District of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) early on January 31 (today), triggering a gunfight in which three militants were killed and a Policeman sustained injuries, reports Daily Excelsior.The firing took place around 5 am when a Police team stopped a Srinagar-bound truck for checking near the Toll Plaza in Ban area of Nagrota.Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbagh Singh said 3-4 terrorists were going to Srinagar when they were intercepted by the Police team at the toll plaza.Three militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight while one of them is believed to be in the trap, he said.The truck driver Mohamamd Mabool was arrested and has been taken into custody for questioning, adds The Indian Express.Four weapons and some ammunition and explosives have also been recovered from the spot.The DGP said the terrorists were part of a freshly infiltrated group, who have entered this side from the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar in Kathua District and were on their way to Kashmir Valley. The identity of the slain militants and their group affiliation are yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant was arrested with arms and ammunition by a joint team of army 47 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Kupwara Police in Kupwara District of J&K, reports Daily Excelsior.Addressing a news conference at Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) Kupwara, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kupwara, Shriram Abbarkar,said,Security Forces (SFs) acting on specific inputs about the presence of a militant Fayaz Ahamd Mir of Mir Mohalla Bumhama, cordoned it off and launched an operation and arrested him.“During the searches, an AK-47 along with a magazine and 25 live rounds were recovered from his possession,” the SSP said, adding that the militant was arrested.The arrested militant was wanted in several cases of arms and ammunition trade for many months.Earlier, South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) had reported about the incident stating that the SFs launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) after inputs about presence of militants in Lalpora villagein Lolab area in Kupwara District of J&K on January 29.