Early Times Report
Srinagar, June 7: Security forces shot dead three militants, including the one who had a Bachelors in Veterinary Sciences, in two separate operations in Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.
The first gunfight of the day broke out in frontier Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir in which two militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed.
Police said the encounter broke when an operation was launched based on specific input regarding movement of militants in Kandi area of Kupwara.
"During search, the joint party came under heavy volume of fire from the terrorists, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists, including a foreign terrorist, were killed," a police spokesman said.
They were identified as Ishtiaq Ahmad Lone, a resident of Tral and a Pakistani militants Tufail, a resident of Lahore, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT.
"It is believed that the group was meant to receive the escaped terrorists from yesterday's operation conducted in Zaloora area of Sopore in which one Pakistani LeT terrorist was killed and three terrorists managed to escape," the spokesman added.
Police said two AK-series rifles were recovered from the site of the encounter.
Another gun battle erupted this afternoon in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir in which a local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed.
The encounter broke out in orchards of Badimarg Aloora area of Shopian following a specific input about the presence of militants in the area.
“As the joint party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint forces which was retaliated leading to the elimination of a terrorist identified as Nadeem Ahmad Rather alias Kamran of Ashmuji Kulgam," the spokesman said.
Police said the slain active since year 2020 and was involved in killing of Kulpora Kulgam Panch on March 2, this year.
Police said an AK rifle and an SLR were recovered from the site of the encounter.
Rather had Bachelors in Veterinary Sciences.
Earlier in the day, J&K Police said it cracked last week's IED blast case in Shopian district that left one soldier dead and two others injured.
Police said two “hybrid” militants involved in the incident, have been arrested and the entire conspiracy of the blast was "hatched" by an active Lashkar-e-Taiba militant. Initially, Police had said that four militants and their associates were arrested in the case.
Early on June 2, three soldiers were injured in a blast inside a private vehicle for hire at Sedow, Shopian, during an anti militancy operation. One of the injured soldiers, Naik Praveen, a resident of Tehri Garhwal Uttarakhand, later succumbed to his injuries.
Initially, police and Army said the blast was likely due to an improvised explosive device or a grenade or a battery malfunctioning in the vehicle.
However, Police on Tuesday confirmed that the blast was triggered by an IED.
Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said Shopian Police cracked the case.
Giving further details about the case, Superintendent of Police, Shopian Tanushre said during the course of investigation, a number of suspects were questioned and on the basis of technical leads and other corroborative evidences, role of two persons Showkat Ahmed Sheikh and Pervaz Ahmed Lone, both the residents of Sedow Shopian, surfaced.
"The two were subsequently arrested in the instant case and on their disclosure, incriminating material including electronic items used in executing the blast have been recovered," she said, adding that the two were 'hybrid' militants, which would mean they are not listed with the security agencies as militants but carry out attacks and then slip back into routine life.
The officer said during further investigations it surfaced that the entire conspiracy was hatched by Abid Ramzan Sheikh, an active militant of LeT.
“Sheikh was in constant touch with the accused and motivated and trained them about how to fix the IED on a vehicle and detonate it remotely," Tanushre said. |
