2 LET MEN KILLED IN GUNFIGHT

Security forces killed two suspected militants of the Lashkar-etaiba in an overnight operation in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, the police said.

SRINAGAR: Security Forces killed two suspected militants of the Lashkar-e-taiba (LET) in an overnight operation in South Kashmir, the police said. The two men had been active in militant ranks for the past two years.

The militants were killed in a shootout in Gund Baba Khalil, Sangam after the forces launched a joint operation in the area late Friday night. They were identified as Naveed Bhat alias Furqan and Aaqib Yaseen Bhat of Qaimoh. The police claimed to have recovered an AK assault rifle and a pistol from the encounter spot.

DGP Dilbag Singh said the militants killed in the encounter belonged to the Lashkar. “They were involved in seven cases related to militancy. Both joined the militant ranks in the last two years,” Singh said. The DGP said the police also arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen commander he identified as Junaid Farooq Pandit of Hamray. “A pistol was recovered from him; he was tasked to carry out selective killings,” Singh said.

On Wednesday, three Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a commander, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The slain militants were all locals identified as Jehangir Wani, Raja Maqbool and Sadat. Wani and Maqbool were residents of Tral and Sadat was from nearby Bijbehara, Anantnag.

On February 5, two militants of the Hizbul and LET were killed at Lawaypora on the city’s outskirts in a shootout with security forces in which a Central Reserve Police Force trooper was also killed.

So far in 2020, security forces have carried out 12 successful anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the DGP said.

“In both these places 25 terrorists were neutralized – 21 in Kashmir and 4 in Jammu,” he said.

IN 2020, SECURITY FORCES CARRIED OUT 12 SUCCESSFUL ANTIMILITANCY OPERATIONS IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR