The encounter ensued when the security forces were conducting an operation. (Representational)
Three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were killed by security forces during an encounter in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir today. They were local recruits and two of them were involved in the killings of two civilians in the Union territory, said police.
Lateef Lone, one of the terrorists, was involved in the killing of Purana Krishna Bharat, a Kashmiri Pandit, they said. Another, Umer Nazir, was involved in the murder of Till Bahadur Thapa of Nepal, the police said in a tweet.
The encounter ensued when the security forces were conducting an anti-terrorist operation in the Munje Marg area early Tuesday morning. A rifle and two pistols were recovered from the encounter site.
"Among 03 neutralised local terrorists, 02 identified as Lateef Lone of Shopian, involved in killing of a Kashmiri Pandit Shri Purana Krishna Bhat & Umer Nazir of Anantnag, involved in killing of Till Bahadur Thapa of Nepal. 01 AK 47 rifle & 2 pistols recovered: ADGP Kashmir," the police tweet quoted a senior officer as saying.
Kashmir has been witnessing a series of targeted killings since last year with many of the victims being migrant workers or Kashmir Pandits. In the latest such incident, two civilians died in terrorist firing last week, according to the Army.