india

Updated: Mar 01, 2019 09:03 IST

A gun battle is underway between militants and security forces in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in north Kashmir’s Kralgund village in Handwara following information about the presence of militants there, the officials said. Two to three militants believed to be trapped in the village.

They said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants opened fire at the security forces, who retaliated. According to officials, there were no reports of any casualties so far in the operation.

Authorities have suspended mobile internet services in Handwara and Sopore.

On Wednesday, a Pakistani was among two Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists killed in a firefight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian.

As many as 11 JeM terrorists have been killed in Kashmir since the Pakistan-based group claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bomb attack that killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in Pulwama, around 25km from Shopian. The attack escalated tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

India launched an air strike on a JeM camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday.