Kashmir Encounter
Jammu and Kashmir: Two LeT militants responsible for killing of TA soldier neutralized in Anantnag, says IGP
Anantnag/UNI: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants, who were allegedly responsible for the killing of a soldier earlier this week, were neutralized on Sunday in an encounter with security forces at Bijbehara in this south Kashmir district.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said that the militants, responsible for the killing of the soldier on Friday, were tracked down and neutralized within two days. The soldier, identified as Mohammad Saleem Akhoon, was killed on Friday outside his residence in Bijbehara. Akhoon had come to home on leave.
A police spokesperson on Sunday said that following specific information about presence of militant at village Semthan Bijbehara, a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched by troops of 3 Rahtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and 9 battalion CRPF at around 1710 hrs on Saturday.
However, he said when security forces were moving towards a particular area militants hiding there, fired at them with automatic weapons. “The security forces retaliated ensuing in an encounter,” he said, adding the joint teams also rescued all the civilians trapped in the gunfire and halted the operation for the night.
He said in the wee hours on Sunday, after ensuring all the civilians are safe, the operation was resumed and both the militants were killed in the exchange of fire.
“The slain militants have been identified as Towseef Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Takia Maqbool Shah Bijbehara and Aamir Hussain Ganie, a resident of Goriwan Bijbehara, Anantnag,” he said.
He said both the militant belong to proscribed militant outfit LeT. “As per police records, Towseef was active since 2017 and Aamir had joined militant ranks in the year 2018,” he said.
He said the duo was wanted in many militancy related cases, including the killing of an off-duty Territorial Army soldier Mohammad Saleem Akhoon who was killed by them near his home in Goriwan Bijbehara on Friday.
“They were also wanted by law in case of PS Bijbehara regarding attack on CRPF party in which one CRPF jawan was killed. They were also involved in threatening and intimidating the civilian population of the area and enticing the young boys to join militant ranks,” he said.
The IGP Kashmir congratulated the joint team of police and security forces for conducting operation in a professional manner. “Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including two AK series rifles, were recovered from the site of encounter. The last rites of the killed militants shall be performed after conducting medico-legal formalities at Handwara and their nearest family members shall be allowed to participate in the last rites,” he said.
He said people are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any.
Meanwhile, mobile internet has been suspended in the area as a precautionary measure to prevent rumours.
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