J&K Police today informed that as many across 50 gunfights took place across Kashmir since the beginning of this year, 78 militants have been killed.

Top police officials privy to the figures told that since January this year, series of anti-militancy operations were launched by the government forces on the basis of credible leads about the presence of militants.

“Of the 78 killed militants, 26 were foreigners,” Police confirmed, adding that around 43 “hybrid militants” have been arrested as well.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that out of 26 foreign militants 12 belong to the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and 14 to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

Earlier, police said that three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in a gunfight at Kupwara district when a joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army intercepted a group infiltrating into the Valley.

This was the second gunfight in North Kashmir in two days. On Wednesday morning, three foreign militants and a policeman were killed in a gunfight at Kreeri village in Baramulla.