Two LeT militants killed in Sopore

SRINAGAR : Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in north Kashmir’s Sopore, police said on Thursday.

The encounter took place after the security forces were attacked by militants during a search operation launched at Brath Kalan area of Sopore on Wednesday.

“A search operation was launched on Wednesday evening based on a tip about the presence of militants in the area. As the searches were going on, the team was fired upon by terrorists. The fire was retaliated, leading to a gunfight, “said Manoj Kumar, spokesperson for Jammu & Kashmir Police.

“In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were neutralised and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” he added.

The militants were identified as Owais Ahmad Bhat alias Abu Bakar and Tahir Ahmad Dar alias Abu Abdullah, both residents of Sopore.

“They were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” said Kumar.

The official confirmed that both the militants were affiliated with terror outfit LeT.

Meanwhile, arms and ammunition, including rifles, were recovered from the encounter site. “All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror cases,” the spokesperson said.

Police requested people not to venture inside the encounter zone till the area was completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials, if any.

CEASEFIRE VIOLATION IN J&K’S POONCH

Pakistani army on Thursday violated the ceasefire by firing on Indian forward posts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said.

“Around 5.55am, Pakistan army violated the ceasefire in Kerni sector with light weapons. The Indian army posts also retaliated in equal measure,” said a police official.

“No loss of life or injury was reported on the Indian side,” he added.