Srinagar: Four militants were killed on Saturday in two separate encounters with security forces in Kulgam and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir while as one militant was captured alive, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Chingam area of Kulgam district of south Kashmir late Friday night following specific inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon a security forces party, who retaliated.
In the exchange of fire, two militants were killed, the official said.
Police identified the slain militants as Tariq Ahmad Mir, resident of Zangalpora Divsar Kulgam; and a Pakistani national, an “A” category militant identified as Sameer Bhai alias Usman, resident of Punjab Pakistan.
Police said both militants were affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit.
As per the police records, both the killed militants were part of groups responsible for carrying out attacks, and “civilian atrocities, including killing of police official Khursid Ahmad at Furah Mirbazzar and attack on Sarpanch Aarif Ahmad at Akhran Mirbazzar in which he was critically injured,” the police said.
An Army official said an M4 rifle and a pistol have been recovered from the site of the encounter.
In another operation in Dadoora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, two militants were killed, police said.
The police said the encounter started after security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following information about the presence of militants there.
They said the killed militants belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and included the outfit’s top commander Zahid Nazir Bhat alias Zahid Tiger.
“It is a big success for the security forces,” a police official said.
Two AK rifles have been recovered from the encounter site, he added.
He said that one militant was captured alive from the encounter site at Pulwama, who was identified as Firdous Ahmed Tak, a resident of Doda district of Jammu.
