Four LeT militants, soldier killed two encounters
Srinagar: Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants and a soldier died in two encounters in Shopian and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said.
Two other security personnel also received injuries in the encounter, they said.
According to officials, one of the ultras killed was involved in the murder of a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur recently.
Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in Dragad area of Shopian district following information about presence of militants there, they said.
The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants opened fire at the security forces who retaliated.
The officials said two ultras of ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF), a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, have been killed.
Three security force personnel also sustained injuries in the operation. One of them later succumbed to injuries at a hospital here, they said.
One of the slain ultras has been identified as Adil Wani, who joined the militant ranks in July 2020.
“One of the killed #terrorists has been #identified as Adil Ahmad Wani, active since 7/2020… So far, 15 militants have been #neutralised in 2 weeks,” IGP Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said in a tweet.
He said Wani was involved in the killing of Saghir Ahmad, a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur, three days earlier.
“Killed # Adil Wani was #involved in #killing of a poor carpenter namely Saghir Ansari S/O Bindo Hussain Ansari R/O Saharanpur UP. Adil Wani was District Commander Shopian of proscribed #terror outfit LeT(TRF),” Kumar tweeted.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that on a specific input regarding presence of militants in Dragad area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 44RR and 178Bn CRPF in the said area.
During the search operation, as the presence of militants got ascertained, they were given repeated opportunities to surrender; instead they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Adil Hussain Wani son of Ghulam Hussain Wani resident of Shirmal, District Commander Shopian of proscribed terror outfit LeT (TRF) and Shakir Ahmad Wani son of Ghulam Qadir Wani resident of Litter Pulwama.
Meanwhile, during the exchange of fire three Army Jawans also sustained bullet injuries and were shifted to nearby hospital for the treatment, however, one among them namely Sepoy Karanveer Singh succumbed to his injuries.
As per police records, both the killed militants were involved in several terror crime cases including civilian atrocities.
“Adil Ahmad was active since July-2020 and was involved in several terror crime cases including recent killing of one poor carpenter Sageer Ahmad Ansari of Saharanpur UP at Litter Pulwama on 16/10/2021. One of the killers of said carpenter was resident of the same village and got active recently after joining terror folds. Reportedly, after committing the crime both shifted from Litter to Dragad Shopian,” the spokesman said.
Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, two militants including a district commander of Lashkar-e-Toiba for Kulgam district were killed in a brief encounter.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that police and army killed LeT district commander Gulzar Ahmed Reshi of Kulgam and another militant whose identity is being ascertained.
“The slain were involved in killing of two non-local labourers in Wanpoh on October 17,” he said.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Emron Musavi said in statement that a joint operation was launched in the evening at Sopat area of Kulgam on the basis of inputs provided by the police about the movement of two militants along the Ashumji-Devsar road. ‘Area was cordoned and contact established at about 7:40 pm. Repeated surrender appeals were turned down by the militants. They opened fire and security forces retaliated. In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed,” he said, adding that one AK-47 rifle and other warlike sores were recovered. “The operation in the area is still in progress,” he added.
KV News
