The army on Wednesday said it had arrested three militants during a gunfight in Jammu’s Poonch district.

A soldier and a suspected militant were injured in the gunfight.

Jammu’s Pir Panchal region, which includes Poonch and Rajouri districts, has witnessed some major attacks on security forces and civilians during the last few months.

Ten army men, including five elite para-commandos, and seven civilians have been killed in three separate attacks since January.

Security forces have launched massive operations to nab the killers but a major success has eluded them so far.

The defence spokesman of Jammu, Lt Colonel Devinder Anand, said the army intercepted three to four militants who were attempting to cross the fence, taking advantage of bad weather and heavy rain.

“After tracking the movement around 1.30am, a well-sited Indian Army ambush on challenging them was fired upon and in the retaliatory firefight some terrorists have been hit,” the spokesman said.

He added: “The area has been cordoned off and a search operation is in progress. Blood trails have been found. Three terrorists — with some weapons, war-like stores including one IED and Narco — have been apprehended.”

The spokesman said one soldier was injured in the ensuing firing and had been evacuated.

It seems the three suspected militants, who have been arrested, are not infiltrating militants as they are all locals.

Official sources identified the three men arrested as Mohammad Riaz, Mohammad Farooq and Mohammad Zubar, all residents of Karmara village of Poonch.

The injured has been identified as Farooq. An official said Farooq was shifted by the army to Poonch district hospital for treatment.

Farooq, who had suffered a bullet injury in his leg, told reporters at Poonch hospital that he was abducted by some armed men on Tuesday night.

He claimed he was at his home when some armed men knocked at his door and asked him to accompany them.

“I accompanied them but on the way, they asked me to shift some stuff (lying somewhere) to someplace. I refused but they threatened to shoot me,” he said. “There was firing later (after he reportedly accompanied them).”

Officials said the army has recovered one AK 56 rifle, two pistols, one suspected IED packed in a pressure cooker and drugs from their possession.