Militants believed to be three in number managed to escape following a fierce gunfight in which a CRPF trooper was killed at Bargam village of south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday wee hours.Official sources told GNS that an encounter started between militants and government forces including 55 RR, SOG and CRPF at village Chinar Bagh, Mohalla Takya, Bargam at around 12:30 am.They said that the gunfight continued for some time during the course of which a paramilitary CRPF trooper namely Mandeep Kumar of 182 bn sustained critical injuries and was evacuated to 92 base hospital but he died on the way to hospital.Two houses were also damaged during the gunfight and owner of one of the houses Bashir Ahmad suffered injuries in his shoulder and as per officials the injury is of minor nature and was hospitalised.The militants managed to escape while taking advantage of darkness amid stone pelting in the area. The militants fled at around 3:00 am, sources said.When contacted SSP Pulwama Mohammad Aslam Choudary confirmed killing the killing of CRPF trooper and as well as militants escaping after the gunfight."There was the possibility of collateral damage as such we had to call off the operation. The militants took advantage of the darkness and fled," SSP said. (GNS)