Ajaz Ali
Srinagar: A local militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba was killed while his associate surrendered before the government forces during an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said Friday.
Acting on specific inputs about the presence of militants, police, army’s 34 RR and CRPF laid a siege around Hanjipora village of the district and launched a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on Friday morning, a police spokesperson said. During the search operation, he said, the presence of militants got ascertained and they were given repeated opportunities to surrender.
“However, they denied the surrender appeal and fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” the police spokesperson said.
He identified the killed militant was Murtaza of Samboora in Awantipora and associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba.
“As per police records Murtaza was also involved in several militancy crime cases including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities,” the police spokesperson said.
He further said the family members of another holed-up militant were brought to the encounter site to again persuade him to lay down arms.
“It was due to the great efforts and utmost patience of police, security forces and repeated surrender appeals with the help of his family members, the trapped militant Sahil Ramzan Dar of Beminipora ultimately surrendered before the joint forces,” the police spokesperson said.
Dar, he said, was an active militant of LeT since March 2021.
“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 1 AK-56 rifle, 1Pistol, 3 AK-magazines, 2 grenades were recovered from the encounter site/possession of surrendered militant. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation,” he said.
“In this connection, Police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” he added.
Meanwhile, IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar once again reiterated his appeal to all “misguided youth” who have joined militancy to shun the path of violence and return to mainstream.
“He also said that police are committed to accept them with open arms as society needs them the most, especially their parents,” the police spokesperson said.
Kumar, he said, also complimented police and central forces for showing utmost patience and exhibiting professionalism by taking surrender of active militants during live encounters, thus saving a precious life.
Grenade Lobbed At Police Station
Militants on Friday lobbed a grenade towards Police Station Bijbehara in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district; however no loss of life or injury was reported in the incident.
Around 8:35 Friday, unidentified militants lobbed a grenade towards Police Station Bijbehara, which exploded without causing any damage, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag Imtiyaz Hussain said.
He said that the whole area has been cordoned off to nab the assailants.
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