Poonch encounter ends, militants escape from cordon

Militants engaged in an encounter with security forces in Poonch district escaped from the cordon this morning, police said.

A search operation has been launched in the nearby forest area after militants escaped during the encounter in Sanjot forest area, about 200km from Jammu, they said.

On a tip off about the presence of three to four militants, a joint column of Rashtriya Rifles troops and special operation group of police had launched a cordon and search operation in the area, around 4am yesterday.

The operation group had established contact with militants around 10am yesterday resulting in exchanges of firing between two sides, they said.