 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
SOPORE, Dec 13: Two local militants of LeT outfit from Sopore town were killed in an overnight gunfight that ensued between security forces and militants in Brath Kalan area of Sopore town on Wednesday late evening and the operation was over by today afternoon.
A top police official said that, based on a credible inputs about the presence of militants in Brath Kalan area of Sopore, a search operation was launched by Police, army, and CRPF jointly in the area on Wednesday evening.
"As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the hiding militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight, the police official said.
The police official said that, "In the ensuing encounter, two militants were neutralized and the bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter.
The slain militants have been identified as Owais Ahmad Bhat alias Abu Bakar S/O Ghulam Ahmad Bhat R/O Gund Brath Sopore and Tahir Ahmad Dar alias Abu Abdullah S/O Mohammad Ramzan Dar R/O Saidpora Sopore. Both the slain militants were affiliated with Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT) militant outfit. However a police statement said that, both the militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. "Huge quantity of arms & ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter, the statement said.
The police handout also said that all these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other terror cases".
"Citizens are requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," said police spokesman in a statement.
Meanwhile sources said that, complete strike was observed in Sopore town and its adjoining areas, mobile internet has been suspended for security reasons to prevent spreading of rumours.
Soon after the gunfight ended, several youth took to streets and pelted stones on government forces, adding later on the youth were peacefully dispersed by police, sources told ET. |
