SRINAGAR: Two militants killed in a gunfight with the counter-insurgent forces at Kreeri, Dooru area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district were affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit, an official said.
A police spokesman in a statement said that acting on specific information generated by police regarding the presence of militants in Kreeri, Dooru area of Anantnag, Police and Army (19RR) launched a joint cordon & search operation in the said area.
“During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was effectively retaliated leading to an encounter,” said the spokesman.
“In the ensuing encounter, 02 categorized militants of proscribed outfit LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Arif Hussain Bhat resident of Halsidar Dooru & Suhail Ahmad Lone resident of Awgam Kulgam,” he said.
“As per police records, both the categorized militants were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on Police/SF and civilian atrocities,” he added.
“They were involved in killing of Army Jawan Nishan Singh during a search operation in Watnar Kokernag on 16-04-2022. Arif Bhat was involved in killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf son of Ghulam Mohammad Dar resident of Awantipora near Police Station Bijbehara on 22-12-2021, he was also involved in killing of HC namely Ali Mohd Ganie near his residential house at Hasanpora Tabeela on 29-01-2022,” said the spokesman.
“Moreover, the slain militant Suhail Lone had joined ranks on the behest of active militant Raja Nadeem Rather of Ashmuji Kulgam,” he said.
IGP Kashmir congratulated the joint teams for conducting the operation in professional manner without collateral damage. He also termed the operation as a big success and important in two aspects viz, it was the same group of militants who escaped from Watnad encounter on 16/04/2022 in which one soldier was killed, reads the statement.
“Besides, the encounter site was very close to national highway so an imminent threat to NHW as well as upcoming Yatra was neutralised,” it reads.
“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 2 AK rifles, one pistol & 2 grenades were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation,” it added.
“In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and an investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” said a police spokesman in a statement.
