8 MILITANTS KILLED IN OVERNIGHT J&K OPERATIONS

SRINAGAR : Six more militants were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Pulwama and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, taking the number of ultras killed in the overnight operations to eight, officials said.

Five militants were gunned down in Shopian district and three in Pulwama in the last 24 hours.

“Eight militants were neutralised in two different encounters in the last 24 hours,” said lieutenant general BS Raju, GOC Chinar Corps.

Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation at Meej in Pampore area of Pulwama, in South Kashmir, on Thursday morning. Inspector general of police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said one militant was killed in the gunfight on Thursday, but two more ultras entered a nearby mosque to take refuge inside it. The cordon around the mosque was maintained throughout the night.

“Patience and professionalism worked. No use of firing and IED. Security forces used tear smoke shells to force the holed up militants out of the mosque while maintaining its sanctity,” the IGP said.

J&K director general of police Dilbag Singh said, “Our field commanders on ground exercised a lot of restraint. We continued to keep that area in cordon and used slightly different tactics to handle this operation.”