Pulwama, Jun 14: Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Friday.
According to a police spokesman, based on inputs, a joint column of Army’s 55RR, CRPF and SOG of police launched a cordon and search operation in Braw Bandina area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
As the forces were conducting searches in the area, the militants fired upon them, he said, adding that the forces retaliated and in the ensuing encounter two militants were killed.
The slain militants were identified as Irfan Ahmad Digoo alias Abu Zarar, a resident of Naina Litter Pulwama, and Tasaduq Amin Shah of Kadlabal Pampore, the spokesman said.
Both of them were affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT and were wanted by law for their complicity in militancy cases, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he said.
“According to police records, Digoo was part of groups involved in planning and executing series of attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. He was involved in a case pertaining to attack on security forces in Ellahibagh Pulwama in which one jawan was killed,” the spokesman said.
“Shah was involved in killing of a civilian. Several cases were registered against both of them,” he said.
Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were seized from the site of the encounter, he said, adding that all these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and to probe their complicity in other cases.
“In the encounter one residential house had caught fire and was in flames when forces were leaving after completion of the operation” said an eyewitness of the Braw Bandina.
A police official said that according to police records slain Irfan Ahmad Digoo alias had joined militant ranks in July 2018.
According to a local resident of Kadlabal Pampore, slain Tasaduq was missing from his home since a civilian was killed in Panthachowk area on 3rd of this month.
Some photo journalists also alleged that they were abused by forces while they were covering the encounter. “A police officer hurled invectives at us, thrashed some of our colleagues and snatched their cameras, which were returned later returned,” a photo journalist said.
Meanwhile authorities also suspended the Internet service in parts of south Kashmir following the killing of two militants.
Reports said the Internet service was snapped in the twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian as a “precautionary measure” to avoid any disturbances.
The train services from Srinagar to Banihal were also suspended in wake of today’s encounter.
“We have suspended train services in south Kashmir for security reasons,” a railway official said.
However, trains continued to chug on Srinagar-Budgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir as per schedule, he said.
