Four militants killed in two encounters in J&K

Srinagar, October 10

Four militants of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfits, including a top commander, were killed in two encounters with security forces in Kulgam and Pulwama districts today, the police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Chingam area of Kulgam district on late Friday night following specific inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired at a security forces party, who fired back in retaliation.

In the exchange of fire, two militants were killed, the official said.

They were identified as Tariq Ahmad Mir, a resident of Zangalpora Divsar Kulgam and a Pakistani national, identified as Sameer Bhai, alias Usman, a resident of Punjab in Pakistan, and an “A” category militant, the official said.

He said both militants were affiliated with the JeM.

“As per the police records, both killed terrorists were part of groups responsible for carrying out attacks. They were involved in many terror crimes and civilian atrocities, including killing of police official Khursid Ahmad at Furah Mirbazzar and attack on sarpanch Aarif Ahmad at Akhran Mirbazzar in which he was critically injured,” the official said.

An Army official said an M4 rifle and a pistol had been recovered from the site of the encounter.

In another operation in the Dadoora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, two militants were killed, the police said.

The police said the encounter started after security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation following information about the presence of militants there.

They said the killed militants belonged to the LeT and included the outfit’s top commander Zahid Nazir Bhat, alias Zahid Tiger.

Two AK rifles were seized from the encounter site, he added. — PTI