Three newly recruited militants, belonging to Al-Badr, were killed and another surrendered in an encounter in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said on Thursday.“On a specific input regarding presence of (militants) in Kanigam area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 44RR and 178Bn CRPF in the area,” a police spokesman said in statement to GNS.During the search operation, he said, as the presence of militants got ascertained, they were given an opportunity to surrender. “Family members of the trapped (militants) were also called to the encounter site to motivate and persuade them to surrender.”He said due to the great efforts and utmost patience of police, one of the trapped militates Tausif Ahmad ultimately laid down his arms before the joint team, he said. “Tausif later also appealed to his trapped companions to surrender, however, they turned down the offer and fired indiscriminately on joint search party which was retaliated, leading to an encounter.”In the ensuing encounter, he said, three militants were killed and their bodies retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Danish Mir, Mohammad Umer Bhat, both residents of Khajapora Shopian and Zaid Bashir Reshi of Raben Shopian. As per police records, they were affiliated with Al-Badr, he said. IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, he said, has once again made a fervent appeal to all “misguided youth who have joined militant” ranks to shun the path of violence and return to mainstream as the society needs them and most importantly their parents. “We will welcome and accept them with open arms,” he was quoted as saying by the spokesman.“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” the spokesman said.The last rites of the killed militants shall be performed after conducting medico-legal formalities and their nearest family members shall be allowed to participate in the last rites. (GNS)