Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Khrew in the Pampore area of the district following information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesman said.
“During the search operation as the presence of terrorists got ascertained they were given repeated opportunities to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated, leading to an encounter,” he said.
In the ensuing encounter, two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed and their bodies retrieved from the site of the gunbattle, the spokesman said.
He identified them as Musaib Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Khrew Pampore, and Muzamil Ahmad Rather, a resident of Chakoora Pulwama.
As per police records, “Bhat had a history of terror crime records and was involved in planning and executing several terror attacks including civilian atrocities,” the spokesman said.
“He was also involved in the killing of a civilian, Javid Ahmad Malik (peon), at Lurgam area of Tral and part of a hit squad of Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for civilian killing in south Kashmir,” he said.
Rather had joined the militant ranks recently, he added.
Incriminating material and arms and ammunition, including an AK-rifle and a pistol, were recovered from the site of the encounter, the spokesman said.
The recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe the duo’s complicity in other cases, he added.
Police has registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated, spokesman said, while adding that the people are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.
