Srinagar, Sep 28 (KNO): A day after United Nation General Assembly session, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed two major encounters one at Batote on Jammu-Srinagar highway and another one at Kangan in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district that saw killing of four militants and a soldier. In Batote encounter, top officials revealed to Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that three militants and a soldier were killed while as an unidentified militant was killed in Kangan area of Ganderbal where joint operation of security forces was on till this report was filed.
The police official said that in Batote a BJP worker, who was held hostage by the militants was rescued. He said that the militant group believed to be five in number were cornered when they tried to stop a vehicle most probably with an aim to hijack it at Batote. “The militants had earlier opened fire on the security forces and within no time they were cornered from all directions,” the official told KNO. “The militants took shelter in a house where they held Vijay Kumar Verma, booth president of the BJP as a hostage. We took our time and first rescued Verma before launching the final assault against militants. The operation was deliberate on only to ensure safety of BJP worker.”
Talking to KNO over phone from Jammu, Inspector General of Police Jammu range, Mukesh Singh said that three militants were killed in the encounter. “But we lost a soldier and two policemen were injured in the gunfight,” he said.
The Batote encounter came just a day after UNGA session where Prime Minister of Pakistan warned of “bloodbath in Kashmir”. The encounter also comes at a time when multiple intelligence agencies had warned the government that at least 60 militants have infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir in the last few weeks alone and another 500 were waiting to sneak in. An army official told KNO that in the house where BJP worker was held hostage, seven other inmates were also rescued.
Meanwhile, another encounter took place at Gangbal area of Kangan in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, an area close to Gurez-Bandipora ridge, a traditional infiltration pass, where one militant was killed. “One militant has been killed so far and the joint operation is on. Weather is not favorable as it is raining heavily in the area,” an army official told KNO. In the meanwhile, a grenade was lobbed at a CRPF party at Nawa kadal area of Srinagar that exploded without causing any damage. (KNO)