Three LeT militants, soldier killed in two encounters
Srinagar: Three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed in an encounter in Magam area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Tuesday. Meanwhile, two troopers were injured in another encounter in Zurhama area in Kupwara district. One of them later succumbed to his injuries.
A senior police officer said that a joint team of army, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation at Khar Mohalla in Magam on Tuesday morning.
As such the joint team of forces intensified the search operation the militants hiding in the area opened fire triggering off an encounter.
“Three militants have been killed during the gunfight and the bodies of the slain were recovered along with as many AK rifles, he said.
Meanwhile DGP SP Vaid hailed the forces for the successful operation in Handwara.
“Three LeT militants all Pakistanis neutralised in Magam area of Handwara district in North Kashmir. Excellent work!”, DGP tweeted.
Meanwhile, two army soldiers were injured in an ongoing gunfight at Zurhama forests of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police sources said.
They said that a joint team of Army’s 23 Para commandos,160 TA, SOG and CRPF cordoned off Gujarpati forest area in Zurhama following specific inputs about the presence of two to three militants in the area.
“As the joint team intensified the searches, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two soldiers were injured and were rushed to nearby Military Hospital for treatment”.
“As per our sources, the militant group of Lashkar-e-Toiba headed by Saifullah were moving towards LoC to receive a group of infiltrators,” the officer said.
Meanwhile, sources said that additional reinforcement of army’s 21 Raj Rifles has been rushed to the area and the operation has been suspended as darkness has set in.
In the ensuing encounter, an army soldier Havaldar Jitender Singh of 21 Raj Rif was killed and two soldiers were injured who were rushed to nearby Drugmulla Military Hospital for treatment.
SSP Kupwara Shemsheer Hussain when contacted said only one soldier was injured so far in the fire fight.
Pertinently, six militants including the nephew of Lashkar-e-Toiba operational chief Zaikur-ur-Rehman Lakhvi were killed in a fierce firefight at Hajin area of Bandipora district in north Kashmir on Monday while an Indian Air Force (IAF) commando was also killed in the fierce gunfight. The encounter also left a soldier from the 13 RR and a civilian injured.
KV Correspondent
