Jammu:Army and police were on hot pursuit of militants who brutally beheaded two policemen in Lolab on 03 April 08. Laying an ambush on specific information of militant whereabouts in Potshai forest of Lolab valley, troops of 2 Para SF and SOG Kupwara led by Captain Ajit Jhala, eliminated 3 militants in a fierce gun battle on 09 April ’08 around 1845hours. The slain militants have been identified as Imrane, Alias papa papa, who was the Divisional Commander of North Kashmir of Al-Badr outfit, Naveed, who was the Battalion Commander of Lalpura of Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit and Abu Darda of LeT outfit. The security forces have recovered 1 AK-47, 2AK-56 riffles, 477 rounds,10 hand grenades, 12 electronic detonators and a radio set from the possession of the slain militants.The Army and police said that Imran, who has been identified as the Area Commander of Al-Badr was the mastermind behind abduction and killing of two policemen from police station Sogam on 03 April ’08. The throat-slit bodies of the policemen were recovered a day later in the hills of Khori forest.The Army says the success of this operation within 72 hours of recovering the bodies of slain cops is attributed to the high moral of SF and close synergy between police and Army in eradicating militancy and reinstating normalcy in the valley.