Srinagar: Two militants were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Kulgam and Pulwama districts of south Kashmir on Saturday, police said.
Acting on specific information regarding the presence of a militant in village Khandipora area of Kulgam, a cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces there, a police spokesman said.
During the search operation, as the search party approached towards the suspected spot, “the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the forces, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter,” he said.
However, in order to evacuate the civilians trapped around the encounter site, the forces ensured the evacuation of all civilians to safer places, the spokesman said.
In the ensuing encounter, “a categorized terrorist identified as Rasiq Ahmed Ganie, son of Mohammad Amin Ganie, resident of Shouch Kulgam of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” he said.
As per police records, Ganaie was involved in several cases including attacks on police/security forces, and civilian atrocities, the spokesman said.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including a .303 rifle along with 23 rounds, a pistol along with 31 rounds, a hand-grenade, etc., were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the spokesman said.
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,” spokesman said.
Meanwhile, another militant was killed in an encounter that broke out in Pulwama district of south Kashmir later in the day.
The gun fight broke out in the Drabgam area of the district, the spokesman said.
One militant has been killed, the spokesman said, adding, the operation was on.
Separately, two persons were arrested in Anantnag district and arms and ammunition seized from them, police said on Saturday.
Rahil Ahmed Malik, son of Gulzar Ahmed Malik ,and Shabir Ahmed Rather, son of Ghulam Hassan Rather, both residents of Mehmodabad, were arrested near a checkpoint at Khudahmam Dooru and incriminating material and arms and ammunition, including a pistol and magazine, and 11 pistol rounds were seized from them, police spokesman said.
In this connection, a case (FIR No. 51/2022) has been registered in Police Station Dooru under relevant sections of law, and further investigation initiated, spokesman informed.
