New Delhi: One policeman died and three others were injured in a three-hour gunbattle between security forces and militants in the Sopore area of north Kashmir today.
The police, assisted by the army, launched an anti- militancy operation in Chanakhan area of Sopore, 55 km from Srinagar, following information about presence of militants in the area, a police spokesman said.
As the security forces were closing on a house where the militants were hiding, the ultras opened indiscriminate firing on them, he said.
Despite the area being cordoned off and presence of additional security, the militants managed to escape under the cover of firing.
Besides the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police, soldiers of counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were also engaged in the operation.
The cop who died was an assistant sub-inspector or ASI. Three other injured policemen were moved to Srinagar for treatment.
