Forces eliminate six militants in two Valley encounters
2 militants killed in Baramulla, 4 in Anantnag
SRINAGAR: Six militants were killed in two separate encounters in Baramulla’s Athora village and Anantnag’s Kharpora Arwani on Thursday.
On information about the presence of militants in a house at Athora village, the army’s Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operation Group of the J&K Police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a cordon and search operation, which turned into an encounter that ended on Thursday evening with the killing of two militant, police said. Both militants were affiliated to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), police added.
Baramulla SSP Imtiaz Hussain said, “In the encounter, two militants were killed and they have not been identified.” The SSP added that the police made efforts to motivate the hiding militants to surrender and provided them with several opportunities as well, but they refused.
Sources, meanwhile, said both the militants were locals from Baramulla.
They identified one of the militants as Shoaib Akhoon, a prominent commander of the Lashkar and another as Akeel Ahmad Sofi — both residents of Khanpora.
Shoaib Akhoon had joined militancy last year in November, while Akeel had been missing since June 2018. Officials said both were active in the outskirts of the Baramulla and Sopore town and police have been trying to nab Akhoon from past several months as they had blamed him for trying to lure youth into militancy. Akhoon, 23, as per his family, was a BSc second year student when he joined militant ranks. The family said he joined militancy because he was frequently called to police station and harassed by the police.
The encounter was followed by protests that broke out in the area as locals demanded bodies of the two militants. Locals claimed the police asked family members of the two youths to visit the police station early Friday morning for identification of bodies. Schools and colleges will remain shut in Baramulla on Friday.
Another encounter began in south Kashmir’s Arwani village after army and police launched a joint operation in the area after they received information about presence of militants in the area.
As the operation was underway, clashes erupted between forces and the police as villagers were allegedly trying to give safe passage to the holed up militants.
Police spokesperson said four militants were killed in the encounter which ended on Thursday evening. “Four militants were killed in the encounter and efforts are on to ascertain identify of the militants.”
Police said another operation was in progress at Tral in south Kashmir. The police spokesperson added that there was a standoff between militants and forces in Lurgam Tral.
A strike was observed in the Valley on Thursday.