*Militant, two soldiers killed in Zainapora gunfight*

Shopian, Feb 19 : A militant and two soliders were killed in an encounter between the government forces and militants in Chermarg village of Zainapora area in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said on Saturday.

A senior police officer told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that an unidentified militant has been killed, whose identification is being ascertained while as two soldiers were injured during the exchange of fire, who were later shifted to 92 base hospital Srinagar, where both succumbed to their injuries.

He identified them as Santosh Yaadev and Romit Chauhan of first RR.

Earlier, an official said that a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering a gunfight—(KNO)