A terrorist and an Indian security officer have been killed in a gun battle, which broke out in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The encounter broke out on Sunday morning and is still underway, officials said. IGP Mukesh Singh noted that the deceased terrorist belongs to Hizbul Mujahideen and has been identified as Auqaaf, adding that another member sustained injuries.
"On specific police input, an operation was launched late last night in the Doda district. An encounter has started now", police said in the morning. On 6 May, security forces gunned down the top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Riyaaz Naikoo.
As many as 20 terror incidents took place in April, when 29 terrorists were killed and at least 19 security personnel lost their lives, as per police data. Hizbul Mujahideen is a terror outfit in Jammu and Kashmir made up of local youth seeking Kashmir's independence from India.
Meanwhile, India has accused Pakistan of fuelling militancy in Kashmir. The allegations have been rejected by Islamabad, who has called the resistance in the conflict zone "indigenous".