The Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police gunned down three terrorists on Tuesday morning in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The slain terrorists include the brother of an IPS officer who has been identified as Shamsul Haq Mengnoo of Draggud village of Shopian. The security forces charged the terrorists in Heff Shermal village, say the police sources.

Shamsul Haq Mengnoo was the younger brother of Inamul Haq Mengnoo, a 2012 batch IPS officer who is posted in the northeast part of the country.

Shamsul Haq was pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Unani Medicine from a Srinagar college before he took up arms and joined terrorist ranks.

“Three weapons and ammunition have been recovered from the slain militants while a soldier injured in the encounter has been shifted to a hospital,” a police officer said.

The encounter occurred within a few hours of the security forces eliminating three terrorists of the Al-Badr outfit in the Budgam district of central Kashmir.

Clashes broke out between stone pelters and security forces during the encounter. A couple of miscreants and four photojournalists were injured during the clashes.

Reports said that a joint team of army’s 44RR. Para Commandos and SOG launched a search operation in Shirmal after credible input about the presence of some militants in the area. As the joint team intensified searches towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them triggering an encounter.

A senior Police official earlier said that a brief exchange of firing has taken place between militants and security forces in an orchard of Shirmal.

Following the encounter, clashes broke out between the local civilians and security personnel near the encounter site as protesters tried to scuttle the efforts of the security forces that had to fire tear gas and pellet shots to disperse the mob.

There were reports of the presence of several terrorists in the area including some top commanders of the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

All the exit routes from the area were sealed to prevent escape of terrorists.