A decorated Indian officer has been arrested for helping to transport freedom fighters in occupied Kashmir, the police chief of IOK said Sunday. Deputy superintendent Davinder Singh had worked for the police for decades and was a member of an elite counter-insurgency force in the occupied territory.

He was apprehended late on Saturday when his vehicle was pulled over at a police checkpoint south of occupied Srinigar. "The fast moving car was stopped and searched. Two wanted militants and our officer... and a third person were arrested in the operation," occupied Kashmir police chief Vijay Kumar told reporters.

Kumar said police and intelligence agencies were questioning Singh, accusing the officer of a "heinous crime". Security forces recovered guns and ammunition from several locations in the follow up to the arrests, including from Singh's residence in occupied Srinagar.

Hours after the four men were detained, police killed three alleged freedom fighters during a gunfight in southern occupied Kashmir's Tral district, where the arrested fighters were based.

One of those arrested was Naveed Baba, the deputy commander of the local outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Baba had stolen four assault rifles and deserted the police force to join the militant group in 2017, according to police.