 S Tahir-ul Haq
Early Times Report
Baramulla, May 30: Two LeT militants were killed on Thursday in a gunfight with security forces in Sopore town of Baramulla district.
A top police official from Baramulla district said that, there were credible inputs about the presence of some militants in Sopore town, after which outer cordon and search operation (CASO) was launched in Bunpora Dangerpora village of Sopore.
"Searches were launched by a joint team of Army's 22 RR, CRPF, police and SOG, and in the meantime, the hiding militants fired upon the search party and the fire was retaliated leading to an encounter, the police official told early times over the phone.
The police official said that, basically yesterday night we had got information about the presence of militants, however today we were able to neutralize them.
In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed and the bodies were also retrieved from the site of encounter, adding some arms and ammunition have been also recovered from the possession of militants, the police official added.
Meanwhile police in a statement said that, 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 explosive materials if any," said statement.
However, local sources from Sopore called ET and said that, the police have recovered the bodies of militants from the encounter site, but the exact identity of the slain militants is being ascertained and both are believed to be associated with the Lashkar-e Toiba (LeT) militant outfit.
'Soon after the encounter erupted in the area, the authorities suspended mobile internet services in Sopore town as precautionary measures, while as some schools including higher secondary in Zaingeer belt were closed, said sources.
However, a senior army officer told ET that the temperature has almost risen in Kashmir valley and it is believed that, there is a surge in the infiltration attempts from across the Line of Control (LoC).
The army men deployed for the counter-infiltration grid will have special snipers and other sophisticated weapons to deal with the infiltrators, and so for there is less and almost no infiltration bid from north Kashmir sides, the army official said. |
