Srinagar: Two militants were killed and a policeman was injured during encounters in Anantnag and Bandipora districts on Monday, while yet another encounter started in Tulran area of Shopian district, police said.
“Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation at Khagund in Anantnag district’s Verinag area following information about the presence of terrorist there,” a police official said.
The search operation turned into an encounter after security forces were fired at, who retaliated, he said.
The police official said that while one militant has been killed, a policeman suffered injuries.
He added that the operation is going on.
In another encounter, which broke out at Gundjahangir in Bandipora district’s Hajin area, a Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF) militant, who was allegedly involved in the killing of a cab driver last week, was killed.
“Killed terrorist has been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmad Dar affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF). He was involved in recent civilian killing at Shahgund Bandipora,” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar tweeted.
Dar’s four other associates – Tariq Ahmad Dar alias Tariq Khoucha, Mohammad Shafi Dar, Mudasir Hassan Lone and Bilal Ahmad Dar alias Sahb Khoucha- also involved in the killing of the cab driver were arrested by the police on Sunday. Dar, as per police, was at large and had joined militancy.
The cab driver Mohammad Shafi Lone, president of the local cab drivers’ association, was shot at in Naidkhai area of Shahgund on Tuesday.
Lone was removed to a hospital but succumbed to the wounds on way. The driver’s was the third killing that evening after Kashmiri Pandit chemist Makhan Lal Bindroo and a non-local vendor were shot dead in Srinagar.
Today’s gunfight broke out in the wee hours shortly after security forces cordoned the village following a tip off about Dar’s presence.
Meanwhile, an encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Tulran area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said on Monday.
They said that a joint of team of police, Army’s 34 RR and CRPF’s 178 batallion after receiving information about the presence of militants launched search operation in the area.
As the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter, said officials.
The encounter was going on when this report was being filed.
