Srinagar: Four militants were killed in two separate encounters in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Kulgam districts, police said Thursday.
Giving details, a police spokesman said during the preceding night, based on specific input about presence of militants in Puchal area of Pulwama, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 183Bn CRPF and 55RR in the area.
“During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given repeated opportunities to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said.
He said in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
The slain militants were identified as Kifayat Ramzan Sofi, son of Mohammad Ramzan Sofi of Padgampora Awantipora, who affiliated with proscribed LeT outfit, and Inayat Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Ahad Dar, resident of Samboora Pulwama, affiliated with proscribed Al-Badr outfit.
In Kulgam, spokesman said during the intervening night, on credible inputs regarding the movement of militants on national highway, a joint naka by police and troops of 1RR was established at Zadora Qazigund.
“During checking, when a suspicious vehicle was signalled to stop, two militants who were came out from the vehicle and started firing indiscriminately upon the naka party,” spokesman said.
He said the fire was retaliated and two militants were killed on the spot. Their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter, spokesman said while identifying the slain militants as Nasir Ahmad Pandith, son of Mohammad Ayoub, resident of Redwani Kulgam, and Shahbaz Ahmad Shah, son of Ghulam Hassan Shah of Katrusu Kulgam. He said both were affiliated with LeT.
Spokesman said as per police records, all the killed militants were part of groups involved in various militancy cases.
“Arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials were recovered from both the encounter sites. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other cases,”police spokesman said.
Meanwhile, Kashmir’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Vijay Kumar said “in past 24 hours, five militants have been killed in three encounters in Kashmir.”
He said yesterday early morning, one of the longest surviving militants of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an encounter at Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The IGP also said that the two militants killed in Zodar area of Kulgam were planning a “big strike” on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
“The encounter took place “in an area close to the highway and they were planning an attack on the national highway,” he said.
