Srinagar, June 25 (KNO): Two militants were killed in an encounter at Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, while as another encounter broke out in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
A police spokesman told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that on a specific input generated by Sopore Police regarding presence of militants in village Hardshiva area of Sopore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 22RR and 179 BN CRPF in the area.
“During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given opportunity to surrender, however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” the police spokesman said.
In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. “The identification and affiliation of the killed terrorists is being ascertained. However as per credible sources the killed terrorists belonged to proscribed LeT outfit,” the spokesman said, adding that the incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their role and complicity in other terror crimes.
He said that the bodies of the slain militants have been sent to Baramulla for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA. In case any family claims the killed militants to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for their identification and participation in last rites at Baramulla, the police said.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any. Hours after two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, another encounter broke out between security forces and militants at Tral area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said.
A police official said that an encounter started in Chewa-Ullar village in Tral where joint teams of security forces launched an operation on the basis of specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area. “When the forces zeroed in on the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired at the forces triggering an encounter. The militants didn’t give time to the forces to make offers for surrender,” the official said.
He said it is believed that at least two to three militants are trapped in a house. “Firing is going on intermittently from both sides,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the authorities have snapped the internet in police division Awantipora as a precautionary measure. This is the second encounter today as earlier in the day, two unidentified militants were killed in a gunfight with forces in Hardshiva village in the apple town of Sopore—(KNO)