Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces here on Saturday, police said.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants in the Rangpora Zakura area of the city, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there during the night, a police official said.
He said as the forces were conducting searches in the area, the hiding militants fired upon them.
The forces retaliated and an encounter broke out in which two militants were killed, police spokesperson said in a statement. He identified the slain as Ikhlaq Ahmad Hajam, son of Abdul Ahad Hajam, resident of Kujer Frisal Kulgam, and Adil Nisar Dar, son of Nisar Ahmad, resident of Malangpora Pulwama. “Both were linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF),” the spokesperson said.
“Two terrorists of terror outfit LeT/TRF neutralised by Srinagar Police. One of the killed terrorists Ikhlaq Hajam was involved in recent killing of HC Ali Mohd at Hassanpora Anantnag,” the IGP Kashmir said on Twitter.
As per police statement, Ikhlaq Ahmad was active from June-2021 and Adil Nisar was active from August-2021.
“Both the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attack on police/security forces and civilian atrocities. Besides, they were also instrumental in motivating the gullible youth to join terror folds and reviving the OGW network,” the statement said.
It said “Ikhlaq was the mastermind behind the recent killing of HC Ali Mohammad at Hasanpora Anantnag on 29/1/22. He was also involved in an IED blast on Qaimoh-Yaripora road on 18/01/2022.”
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including two pistols and five hand-grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, police statement said.
It said IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar congratulated police for carrying out the operation “in professional manner without any collateral damage”.
In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any, police statement said.
