SRINAGAR, Sept 26 — At least 26 persons, including 19 militants and three security force personnel, were killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since yesterday, while three persons were injured in a grenade explosion at Bandipore in Baramula district this morning.

Four militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen, one of them a foreigner, and a security force jawan were killed in an encounter at Chithibandi in Bandipore area of Baramula district last night. Four AK rifles, four wireless sets, seven grenades and one RPG were seized from the site of the encounter. Those killed have been identified as Mumtaz Sofi, “Battalion Commander” of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Zahoor Ahmad and Viqar Buhru, all locals, and a Pakistani national, identified as Asif Bhai.

In another encounter six persons, including five militants of the Hizbul Mujahideen and a BSF jawan, were killed at Wangund, Kulgam in Anantnag district today. The encounter ensued when a search party was fired upon by the hiding militants. The militants were identified as Muba Cheeni, Nazir Ahmad Dar, Mohammad Iqbal, Mohammad Afzal and Jehangir Ahmad. Four AK rifles, 11 magazines, one hand grenade, a wireless set, five detonators and seven pouches were seized from the site of the encounter.

Two militants and a civilian were killed in separate incidents in Anantnag district, the police said. A launching chief of the Hizbul Mujahideen for Doda and Udhampur districts, identified as Alif Din of Mahore, was killed in an encounter at Nagpathri-Damhal Hanjipora. Another militant was apprehended in the area. Two pistols, two magazines with 37 rounds and two hand grenades were seized from them, the police said.

One militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen, Abdul Rashid, was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Panzath, Wanpora in Qazigund area of Anantnag district. One AK rifle and other ammunition were seized from the deceased militant.

Unidentified militants shot dead two persons in Anantnag district last night. Ghulam Nabi Hajam died on the spot when gun-wielding militants entered his house at Dialgam last night and opened indiscriminate fire. Another person sustained injuries in the shootout, reports said. A police constable, Manzoor Ahmad, was killed in his in-laws’ house at Lowermunda, Qazigund in Anantnag district last night.

Two foreign militants, Mohammad Sulaiman and Mohammad Jaffar from Muzaffarabad in PoK, were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Daurswani in the Lolab area of Kupwara district yesterday. Two AK rifles, 100 rounds of ammunition, four rifles grenades, two hand grenades and a wireless set were seized from the site of the encounter.

A Sub-Inspector of the Jammu and Kashmir police, Raja Saleem, was killed and four security force jawans were injured when a joint operations group of the BSF and the police launched search operations in the Kandi forest area of Kupwara district yesterday. Two militants and a civilian were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Gaggarian sector in Poonch district yesterday.