Security forces recovered the body of a third suspected militant in Pulwama district’s Bahmnoo area in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning, ANI reported. It remains unclear when the third suspected militant was killed.

Two other militants had been gunned down in an encounter with security forces on Monday. The police had identified one of them as Kifayat.

While the firing is believed to have stopped in Bahmnoo, search operations are still being conducted in the area. Security forces have recovered two weapons – one AK-47 and one Insas rifle – from the spot.

Three soldiers are also believed to have been injured in the ambush, which began early on Monday, NDTV reported.

“The commandos blew up and set ablaze three houses, bringing an end to the gunfight raging since 7 am yesterday,” an official was quoted as saying by Greater Kashmir.

Militants holed up in Bandipora

Meanwhile, security forces launched another search operation in Bandipora district’s Ajas area on Tuesday morning, following information that suspected militants were hiding in the locality.

On Sunday, authorities had launched a search operation in Pulwama’s Malangpora area. The police had said they had reports about the presence of a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, among others, in the area.

Villagers had, however, tried to disrupt the joint search operation conducted by the Army, local police and Central Reserve Police Force.

On Saturday, two militants, including top Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Bashir Lashkari, had been killed during an exchange of fire between security forces and the armed accused holed up in a house in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.