Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists were killed in a brief encounter with security personnel near the court complex in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Tuesday, police said.
“On a specific input about the movement of terrorists through Budgam, a joint area domination party of the army and police tried to stop one suspected vehicle near the court complex. Terrorists fired upon and in retaliation, two terrorists were killed,” a police spokesperson said.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the slain terrorists were affiliated to the proscribed outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba and have been identified as Arbaaz Ahmad Mir, resident of Putrigam Rajpora, and Shahid Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Kisrigam Kakapora, Pulwama.
Kumar said both the terrorists had escaped from a cordon and search operation last week in the nearby Magam area.
An AK rifle and a pistol were recovered from them, he said.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, DGP Dilbag Singh said the militants were probably looking for a new hideout after they fled from the previous one last week.
“There was an operation in the Redbugh area two days ago in which there was some firefight, but terrorists managed to escape. We were looking for them and checkpoints had been put up for that.
“We had inputs about their movement in a vehicle. When this vehicle was signaled to stop, terrorists came down and started firing. In the retaliatory fire, two terrorists were killed,” Singh said.
“It is a matter of investigation whether they were headed to Srinagar. Perhaps they were moving in search of a new hideout after leaving the old one,” he added.
A police spokesman in a statement said that as per police records, both the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of groups involved in several cases.
He said, “they were tasked to carry out some sensational terror incident in Budgam district ahead of forthcoming Republic Day.”
