2 JeM militants killed in Baramulla encounter

Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, February 22

Two militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in a gunfight in north Kashmir Sopore sub-district on Friday, police said.

The nearly 20--hour long gunfight started Thursday evening when joint team of security forces were carrying a cordon and a search operation at Warpora Sopore, around 60 kms from Srinagar, after an input about presence of militants.

“The CASO turned into an encounter when militants opened fire at the forces, which retaliated. In the gunfight that followed two militants were killed,” a police officer said, adding that arms and ammunition was recovered from the gunfight site.

A house and a cowshed was also damaged during the encounter, locals said.

 Deputy Inspector General police north Kashmir Atul Goel said the two slain were associated with Jaish-e-Mohammad. "Though identities of the two are being ascertained, they belonged to Jaish ," he said.

Jaish was behind the recent deadly car bombing that left 40 CRPF men dead.

Goel said that significant time of the operation was spent on evacuating families over 40 families. Authorities snapped mobile internet services in the area as a precautionary security measure to maintain law and order, and imposed restrictions in some parts of Sopore area.

There were reports of clashes around the gunfight site. The youth pelted stones on security foces apparently to disrupt the counter militant operation and help the militants escape. Forces used tear smoke shells to quell the protests.

 After the deadly Pulwama bombing, five militants of Jaish, including their operational chief in Kashmir, Kamran a suspected Pakistani national, have been killed in the two gunfights in the valley.