Three militants, one cop killed in Poonch twin encounters

Jammu, Sep 11 (PTI) Three militants and a policeman weretoday killed and six others, including an police officer, wereinjured in twin encounters between security forces and fourterrorists in Poonch town of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounters between security forces and the militants,who were holed up in a house and another structure nearthe under-construction Mini Secretariat, erupted at around7.30 AM and continued through the day. "Three militants have been knocked down. The civilians,who were held hostage, have been safely evacuated. Operationis still on," Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rajouri-Poonchrange Johny Willian told PTI. A policeman Rajinder Kumar was killed in the incident. Two Army jawans, two police jawans and a civilian werealso injured. One of the injured is Sub Inspector of Special OperationGroup (SoG) Manzoor Hussain and another a civilian Tariq,police said, adding the injured have been hospitalised. The authorities used drones to track down the militantswho had taken shelter inside a house where an elderly couplelived and another structure. The couple was safely evacuated. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu Zone Danish Ranasaid body of one of the militants has been recovered andothers are being recovered. "The cordon in the area will remain intact till tomorrowas operation is on," Rana added. Earlier, state police chief Rajendera Kumar said, "Fourmilitants are involved in the two encounters at two differentlocations." "They (militants) are in a house, where there is acivilian couple. Forces are retrieving them. we have toevacuate the civilians first," he said. (MORE) PTI ABAKK