Eight Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Tayiba (LeT) were killed in three separate encounters with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

Three terrorists were killed in the Keran sector of Kupwara on the Line of Control (LoC) when they infiltrated into this side from POK.

A deputy superintendent of police and eight CRPF and J&K Police personnel were injured in the encounter near Vaishnodevi University on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Reasi district of Jammu where all three trapped terrorists have been killed.

Two terrorists were killed in another encounter in Chinkipura area of North Kashmir’s Sopore in Baramulla district.

The three terrorists who escaped after firing from a truck at a CRPF post on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on Wednesday were trapped in an encounter on Thursday morning near the Vaishnodevi University after the local residents of Kakryal village informed the security forces about their presence in the area.

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The terrorists had barged into a house last night and demanded some biscuits. After changing their clothes, they had proceeded towards the highway. The security forces that had cordoned off the area established contact with the terrorists in the morning when the encounter broke out.

The DSP and other injured policemen were rushed to the Vaishnodevi hospital for treatment.

These terrorists had injured a CRPF jawan and a forest guard on Wednesday too. The injured CRPF personnel have been identified as Harshpal Singh, Zakir Hussain and Pancham Singh of 6th Battalion, Abhay Singh and Manoj Kumar of 187 Battalion.

Vehicular traffic towards Katra Vaishnodevi and on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was suspended as a precautionary measure.

The three terrorists had infiltrated through the Hiranagar sector reportedly with the assistance of Pakistani troops and were heading towards Kashmir when the truck in which they were travelling in was intercepted by the police. They fired at the CRPF check post and escaped. The driver and the cleaner of the truck that was reportedly hired for Rs 50,000 by someone in Kashmir to bring the three terrorists to the Valley were arrested.

Helicopters and drones were used to track the terrorists. The operation was continuing as one terrorist was still holed up in the area.

Speaking about the Sopore encounter, Army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said arms and ammunition had been recovered from the encounter spot. Two Pakistani terrorists of JeM were killed there. They have been identified as Ali alias Athar and Zia-ur-Rehman.

Police said Ali was mastermind behind the Sopore IED blast in which four policemen were recently martyred. These terrorists were also involved in some attacks at Army, CRPF and police.

In another incident, the Army apprehended a Pakistani national who breached the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector and entered the Indian territory last night.

Army spokesman Lt Colonel Devender Anand said the infiltrator was nabbed along the Ranghar Nullah. He has been identified ad Ameer Yusuf, a resident of Narol village in POK.

He has been handed over to the police. Some Pakistani currency and an ID card were recovered from his possession.