Srinagar: A local militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) was killed in a pre-dawn encounter with government forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said Friday.
Around 5:00am Friday, police, army’s 34 RR and the personnel of CRPF 178 battalion launched a cordon and search operation in Rakhama on the basis of an input suggesting the presence of a militant in the village, a police spokesperson said.
During the search operation, he said, the presence of a militant got ascertained and he was given the opportunity to surrender.
“Instead he fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved,” the police spokesperson said. He identified the slain militant as Mujeeb Lone of Redwani Bala, Kulgam.
Lone, as per police records, had joined the militancy recently and was linked with LeT. However, media reports said that Dar had joined militant ranks 20 days ago.
“He was responsible for creating terror among the locals and had been coercing innocent citizens to sympathise with anti-national elements,” the police spokesperson said
“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including one pistol, 01 magazine were also recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” he added.
The police spokesperson also urged cooperation of police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in the district, police claimed the arrest of a Lashkar militant.
According to the police spokesperson, on a specific input regarding the movement of militants and their planning to attack on security forces, a joint checkpoint was established at Mujhmarg Junction by Shopian Police, 1stRR and 178Bn CRPF.
During checking, a suspicious person was intercepted who on seeing the search party tried to flee from the spot but the alert party apprehended him tactfully. He has been identified as Kamran Bashir Hajam son of Bashir Ahmed Hajam resident of Babapora, an active terrorist of proscribed terror outfit LeT.
During his personal search, one Hand Grenade and 29 rounds of 7.62 mm calibre were recovered from his possession.
Accordingly, a case vide FIR no. 117/2021 under relevant sections of law has been registered at PS Zainapora. Further investigation is going on.
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