SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed and an army officer injured in a fierce gun battle that erupted in Handwara in Kupwara district on Monday.
According to the reports, Rashtrya Rifles backed by Special Operations Group of Police launched a n operation after receiving a tip-off about the presence of militants in villages Vilgam.
The reports said that the militants were told to surrender but they refused and instead opened firing on besieging forces triggering a fierce gun fight.
The police sources claim that one of the two militants killed during the encounter was a top Lashkar-Taiba operative and that his killing was a major success.
SP Handwara Maqsood-u-Zaman said that the militants were holed up inside a cowshed belonging to one Habib-ullah.
He said family along with their cattle were taken to safety ahead of operation.
He stated further that the two militants killed in todays encounter were active since 2008.
The duo has been identified as Abu Huraira and Abu Talha. Abu Huraira was the top LeT militant and was presently operating as divisional commander, he said.
The reports further said that an Army officer of RR identified as Sandeep Kotwal was injured during the gunfight. The reports confirmed that he received bullet injury in his abdomen and is undergoing treatment at Armys base hospital.
Security forces claim to have recovered ammunition including AK47 rifles and some magazines from the possession of slain militants.
Meanwhile, a police statement said that on a specific information regarding presence of militants, a cordon and search operation was launched at Malik Pur, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Vilgam, Handwara by Police and 6 RR. The cordon and search operation resulted into an encounter as the joint operation party was fired upon by the trapped militants.
In this encounter two militants belonging to LET got killed. They have been identified as Abu Huriara and Abu Talha of LET. Huriara was Group Commander of LET. Both of them had infiltrated last year and were involved in cases of militancy, the police statement added.
Man shot dead in Awantipore
An unidentified militant was killed Monday in an encounter with CRPF in Tral town of south Kashmir.
Official sources said that unknown militants opened heavy gunfire over a patrolling party of CRPF 182 battalion near the bus stand Tral in Awantipore area of the district. In the retaliatory fire, an unknown militant was killed.
Two more militants while taking the advantage of darkness managed to escape from the site, he said.
One militant has been killed in the ongoing gunfight. Searches have been launched in the area, a CRPF spokesman Kishore Prassad said.
However, official sources said that police found no arms or ammunition from the deceased.
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