At least 17 militants and two security personnel have been killed in eight encounters in Kashmir in January.

Vijay Kumar, the police inspector general for the Kashmir region, told Anadolu Agency the militants killed include top commanders of the Jaish outfit.

Since Aug. 5, 2019, when the Central Government abrogated Article-370, 10 encounters were reported across Kashmir in which 20 militants were killed but in January, eight encounters have already taken place which experts predict happened because communication lines eased and tracking militants has also been easy for security agencies.

The first encounter started Jan. 6 at Awantipora when a local militant affiliated with Hizbul-Mujhahideen was killed. That was followed by seven more encounters.

The recent being of Nagrota, Jammu encounter in which three militants were killed and a local policeman sustained injuries Friday.

"So far three terrorists have been gunned down and one policeman is also injured in the gunfight," a police spokesperson told Anadolu Agency.

Police said the gun battle started at around 5 a.m. Friday (2330GMT) after police intercepted a Srinagar-bound goods truck near a toll plaza in Nagrota on the outskirts of the southern city of Jammu.
The militants traveling in the truck fired on police leading to an encounter, police said.

It was in mid-January, under the direction of the Indian Supreme Court, when the government in Kashmir restored internet facilities to Institutions dealing with essential services.

Five days later, mobile phone and limited internet connectivity were restored in the region of Jammu and Kashmir with a complete prohibition on the accessibility of social media.