Two LeT militants, civilian killed in Shopian gunfight

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, February 25

Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants and a civilian were killed during a gunfight with security forces in Shopian district on Friday.

Acting on a specific input about the presence of militants at Amshipora village in Shopian, a joint team of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles, the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched an operation in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

Police said a cluster of houses were cordoned off and the search was started to locate the hiding militants.

“During the evacuation of civilians trapped around the suspect spot, two militants hiding in a nearby house came out and resorted to indiscriminate firing, resulting in grievous injuries to one civilian,” the police said. The civilian, identified as Shakeel Ahmad of Amshipora, succumbed to his injuries.

The fire was retaliated effectively, triggering a gunfight in which both the militants were killed. The slain militants were identified as Muzamil Ahmad Mir, a resident of Chatripora, and Shariq Ayoob Wagay, a resident of Bonpora, Amshipora, Shopian. They were affiliated with the LeT.

As per police records, both the militants were linked to LeT and involved in several terror cases.

Arms and ammunition, including an AK-56 rifle, two AK magazines, a Chinese pistol, a pistol magazine and 26 AK rounds, were recovered from the encounter site, the police said. The internet services have been snapped in the area as a precautionary measure.

Involved in several terror acts

• Muzamil Ahmad Mir and Shariq Ayoob had been involved in several crimes, shows police record.
• Civilian Shakeel Ahmad sustained bullet shot while being evacuated from a nearby house.

Four Hizbul OGWs arrested

• Four Hizbul overground workers (OGWs) have been arrested in Kishtwar, the police said.
• 2 grenades, 120 live rounds of AK-47 rifle, two empty magazines have been seized. IANS