Srinagar- Two local militants, who had escaped from the dragnet of government forces after killing a soldier last month, were slain in an encounter in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, police said Tuesday.
The gunfight, according to officials, started when a joint team of police and army launched a cordon and search operation in Dooru area of the district on Tuesday evening on the basis of specific information about the presence of militants.
They said the militants opened fire upon the joint team in a bid to escape from the village. In the retaliatory fire, the officials said, two militants were killed.
A police spokesperson identified the killed militants as Arif Hussain Bhat of Halsidar Dooru & Suhail Ahmad Lone of Awgam Kulgam.
Lone, he said, had joined militant ranks on the behest of active militant Raja Nadeem Rather of Ashmuji Kulgam.
As per police records, he said, both the categorized militants were part of groups involved in several “terror crime cases” including attacks on Police/SF and “civilian atrocities”.
“They were involved in killing of Army Jawan Nishan Singh during a search operation in Watnar Kokernag on 16-04-2022. The killed terrorist Arif Bhat was involved in killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf son of Ghulam Mohammad Dar resident of Awantipora near Police Station Bijbehara on 22-12-2021, he was also involved in killing of HC namely Ali Mohd Ganie near his residential house at Hasanpora Tabeela on 29-01-2022,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar termed the operation as a big success and important in two aspects viz, it was the same group of militants who escaped from Watnad encounter on 16/04/2022 in which one soldier was martyred.
“Besides, the encounter site was very close to national highway so an imminent threat to NHW as well as upcoming Yatra was neutralized,” Kumar said.
The encounter in Dooru comes a day after a civilian was killed and two others, including a soldier injured in the neighbouring Shopian district.
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