Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Rainawari area of the city on Wednesday, police said.
The encounter had broken out in the Rainawari area around midnight following a cordon and search operation in the old city area, a police official said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar said of the two militants killed in the brief gunbattle, one was carrying an “ID card of media”.
“One of the killed categorised local terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT was carrying identity card of media. It indicates a clear case of misuse of media,” Kumar tweeted.
The card bears the name Rayees Ahmad Bhat, editor-in-chief of Valley Media Service. The other militant has been identified as Hilal Ahmad.
Giving details of the operation, Kumar said on Wednesday evening police got information that two militants – Rayees Ahmad Bhat from Shahabad Bijbehara, and Hilal Ahmad Rah, alias Shaboo, son of Safeer Ahmad Rah of Kuthipora Waghama — were hiding in the Rainawari area of the city.
“Police laid a cordon and during searches, the terrorists opened firing leading to an encounter. Two terrorists were killed in the gunfight. Both are local terrorists belonging to Anantnag district,” the IGP said.
Kumar said one of the slain men, who have been identified from the press ID card as Rayees Bhat, was a journalist before joining the militant ranks in 2021.
“He was involved in several killings in the Anantnag district,” the police officer said.
“Bhat had come to Srinagar looking for soft targets. We got timely information leading to the operation. He was involved in civilian killings and had two FIRs lodged against him,” the IGP said.
Sounding a word of caution, the IGP said the Information department and journalists should follow the Press Council of India guidelines. “Else, police will act.”
He alleged that social media was being misused by Pakistan and by some journalists in Kashmir.
“I request the journalists to avoid getting involved in anti-national activity, instigating people or spreading fake news,” Kumar added.
Number of active militants in Kashmir under 200 ‘for the first time’: IGP
Kashmir’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar on Wednesday said that the number of active militants in the Valley had come down under 200 “for the first time”.
“It is an open thing that militant numbers have come down. For the first time, militant numbers have reduced below 200 and we will bring it further down. Some people had guessed that numbers would rise but there is nothing of this sort,” news agency GNS quoted the IGP Kashmir as telling the media in Srinagar after an encounter in the city’s Rainawari area.
“People have cooperated and in fact family members on their own inform that their kin has got active or is missing. Some are brought back,” Kumar said.
Asked about petrol bomb hurled by a Burka-clad woman towards CRPF bunker at Sopore, the IGP said that the woman has been identified and “would soon be arrested.”
He also appealed to parents to keep watch on their wards and prevent them from joining militant ranks.
