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Updated: Dec 09, 2018 20:59 IST

Three militants, including a juvenile, were killed after an 18-hour gunfight between security forces and militants in Mujgund area on city outskirts on Sunday which also witnessed destruction of four houses near the encounter site.

An army spokesman said that the bodies of three militants were retrieved besides the recovery of weapons and warlike stores. The operation was over by the noon on Sunday.

Kashmir police in a statement identified the slain militants as Mudasir Rashid Parray and Saqib Bilal Sheikh, both of Hajin Bandipora. It said that from the material evidence collected, the third militant has been identified as Ali, a Pakistani, who was involved in militant “recruitment” in Hajin and Sumbal areas of Bandipora. It said that the trio was affiliated with proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

As per locals, Parray was 14-15 years old and had disappeared along with the 17-year-old Saqib Bilal Sheikh on August 31. Parray’s gun holding picture had gone viral on social media recently. Superintendent of police, Bandipora, Sheikh Zulfikar said Parray was below 18 while Sheikh was “older” than him.

The police statement said that an army man was also injured in the gunfight who has been hospitalized. “Three civilians also sustained injuries as the area was in open and the injured were shifted to hospital for medical treatment. They are stated to be stable,” the statement said.

“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter,” it said.

Fierce clashes between stone throwing youth and security forces took place intermittently around the encounter site. The youth shouted pro-freedom slogans as security forces exchanged fire with militants.

“Security forces fired dozens of tear gas shells and pellets to disperse the youth,” a resident said not wishing to be named.

He said that at-least four houses near the gunfight site were destroyed during the gunfight which continued through the night amid chilly weather.

“The fire was coming from the militants’ side during the night as well. Perhaps one of the militants was moving from one house to another as it was a cluster of small houses where they were hiding. He was eliminated in the morning,” said a police source.

On Saturday evening, security forces had cordoned the Mujgund area which falls on the road to north Kashmir’s Bandipora district after inputs that militants were hiding there.

The police statement said that during the search operation, the search party was fired upon by the hiding militants. “The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the initial exchange of fire one army jawan sustained injuries and was shifted to hospital for medical treatment,” it said.

The police have requested people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” it said.

Last month was the bloodiest month of this year for the insurgents as 37 militants were killed in gun battles with security forces across Kashmir. Among the militants killed in November, nine were top commanders, including Lashkar-e-Taiba’s face Naveed Jatt, who was shot dead in Budgam district.

On Saturday, Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Ranbir Singh said that more than 225 terrorists have been killed in Jammu and Kashmir so far this year.

While they belonged to different organisations, the Lashkar and Hizbul Mujahideen suffered major losses last month as both groups lost some of their top commanders, especially in south Kashmir, which has become a hotbed of militancy.