SRINAGAR: Two militants killed in a gunfight with the counter-insurgent forces in Mouchwa area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district were affiliated with JeM outfit, police said.
A police spokesman in a statement said that on a specific input regarding presence of militants in Mouchwa area of Budgam, a joint cordon and search operation was launched yesterday evening by Srinagar Police, Budgam Police, 50RR and CRPF in the said area.
The spokesman said that during the search operation, as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter.
“In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and due to darkness the operation was suspended, however, the whole area was put under strict cordon,” said the spokesman.
“In the wee hours, a search operation was resumed and bodies of both the killed militants were retrieved from the site of encounter. One of the slain militants has been identified as Javaid Ahmad Ganie resident of Pulwama and as per reliable sources, the other militant has been identified as Khalid @Ilyas, a Pakistani national. Both the militants were affiliated with proscribed outfit JeM,” he said.
“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” he added.
The spokesman said that the dead bodies of the slain militants shall be sent to Handwara for burial after completion of all medico-legal formalities.
“The nearest family members of the identified killed local militant shall be allowed to participate in the last rites at Handwara,” he said.
“In this connection, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.
