Srinagar: Four Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists, including two who were involved in killing a female TV artist, were killed in two separate encounters in Pulwama and Srinagar districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Friday.
An encounter broke out at Aganhanzipora locality in Awantipora area of Pulwama district late on Thursday night, a police spokesman said.
He said two terrorists, who were responsible for killing TV artist Amreen Bhat in Budgam district a day earlier, were trapped in the cordon.
“Both killed newly joined local #terrorists identified as Shahid Mushtaq Bhat R/O Hafroo Chadoora #Budgam & Farhan Habib R/O Hakripora #Pulwama. They had #killed TV artist on the instruction of LeT Cmdr Lateef. 01 AK 56 rifle, 4 magazines and a pistol recovered,” IGP Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar tweeted.
Another encounter broke out in Soura area of Srinagar city where two LeT ultras were shot dead, the police said.
“10 #terrorists including 3 from JeM & 7 from LeT #terror outfits killed in 3 days in #Kashmir valley. Heinous #murder case of late Ambreen bhat solved in 24 hours,” Kumar said in another tweet.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Friday said two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants involved in killing of a 35-year-old TV artist and wounding her minor nephew in Budgam district of central Kashmir on Wednesday evening were killed in an overnight encounter in Awantipora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir.
IGP Kashmir who was accompanied by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Rakesh Bhalwal said justice was done to slain TV artist, Ambreen Bhat of Chadoora area of Budgam district as the two militants involved in her assassination were killed.
“Those killers had newly joined terrorist ranks and were identified as Shahid Mushtaq Bhat of Hafroo Chadoora Budgam and Farhan Habib of Hakripora Pulwama. They had killed a TV artist on the instruction of LeT commander Lateef,” IGP told the media on the sidelines of a flagging off ceremony at District Police Lines (DPL) Srinagar.
He said that a total of ten militants of which seven belong to LeT and three from JeM outfits were killed in the past ten days in Kashmir.
“Justice was done to our slain sister, Ambreen, a TV artist from Budgam as both the terrorists involved in her killing were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Awantipora. The assailants were being constantly tracked by the police,” Kumar said.
Kumar said two more LeT militants were killed in a predawn gunfight in Soura area on the outskirts of Srinagar after a small team of police established contact with them.
“Four LeT terrorists were gunned down in two separate encounters in Srinagar’s Soura and Awantipora. Srinagar police received information that LeT terrorists have arrived here from south Kashmir. A small team of police followed them. When they zeroed in on the suspected spot, terrorists hiding in a house in Soura opened fire. However both terrorists were neutralized in retaliation,” he said.
The IGP said that an AK-47 rifle, a pistol and four magazines were recovered from the encounter site in Soura. The slain militants, he said, were ‘c’ category local militants identified as Shakir Ahmed Waza and Afreen Aftab Malik, both residents of Trenz Shopian.
He said incriminating material including arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site while bodies of the slain militants have also been taken into possession.
