Six militants, two soldiers killed in separate gunbattles
Srinagar/Jammu: Six militants, including three from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and two soldiers were killed in various gunbattles across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, defence and police sources said.
Four militants were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Kulgam districts as some parts of the valley observed a shutdown to mark the fifth death anniversary of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on Thursday.
Based on specific input about the presence of militants in the Puchal area of Pulwama, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, CRPF and the Army on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, a police spokesperson said.
“During the search operation as the presence of militants was ascertained they were given repeated opportunities to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said.
In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, the spokesperson said.
They have been identified as Kifayat Ramzan Sofi, affiliated with the LeT, and Inayat Ahmad Dar, affiliated with Al-Badr outfit.
In Kulgam district, on credible inputs regarding the movement of militants on the National Highway, a joint check point was set up at Zadora-Qazigund.
“During naka checking, when a suspicious vehicle was signalled to stop by the naka party, two terrorists who were boarding the vehicle came out from the vehicle and started firing indiscriminately upon the joint naka party. However, the alert party retaliated the fire effectively, leading to the elimination of two terrorists on the spot,” the spokesperson said.
The slain militants were identified as Nasir Ahmad Pandith and Shahbaz Ahmad Shah, both affiliated with the LeT.
“During the last 12 hours, two encounters took place in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Kulgam districts in which four terrorists got killed,” the spokesman said.
“As per police records, all the killed militants were part of groups involved in various terror crimes regarding which several terror crime cases stand registered against them. Arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials were recovered from both the encounter sites,” he said.
Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar has congratulated the police and security forces for conducting successful operations in a professional manner without any collateral damage.
In this connection, police have registered cases under relevant sections of the law and investigations have been initiated.
The success for the security forces came on the fifth anniversary of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.
Meanwhile, two militants believed to be Pakistani were killed as Army foiled an infiltration bid along LoC in Sunderbani area of Rajouri district.
Two soldiers were injured in the firefight with the militants who made an attempt to cross the LoC, official sources said.
Two militants and as many as soldiers were killed while an army personnel was injured in a gunfight near the Line of Control in Suderbani sector of Rajouri, official sources said on Thursday.
They said that there was gunfight between infiltrating militants and army in the Suderbani sector in the district in which two unidentified militant and as many soldiers were killed while one trooper was injured. One of the slain soldiers has been identified as Sepoy Yashwant Reddy of 17 Madras, the official sources said.
While Defence Ministry spokesman based in Jammu could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts, army in a tweet said: “Infiltration bid foiled in Sundarbani Sector. Further operations in progress.”
Today’s gunfight comes a day after army said that an unidentified militant was killed in Nowshera sector of Rajouri.
Alert Army troops thwarted the infiltration bid by suitably employing an integrated surveillance grid along with domination by fire, and engaging the terrorists in a fierce firefight in which one terrorist was neutralised, he said, adding that his body has been recovered.
An AK 47 rifle, four magazines of AK 47 with ammunition and two hand grenades have been recovered, he said.
This action displays resolve of the Indian Army to thwart any misadventure on the Line of Control, the spokesman said.
According to sources, two soldiers were injured in the gunfight and have been hospitalised.
KV News
