3 LeT terrorists killed in Kashmir gunfights

Srinagar: Security forces shot dead two militants, including an arrested militant, in an overnight gunfight in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, taking the militant toll in the operation that began on Sunday to four, officials said.
Another militant was killed in a separate gunfight in South Kashmir.
Kashmir has seen an increase in gunfights this month and in the past 24 hours, seven militants have been killed in three gunfights in Kupwara, Kulgam and Pulwama. Police said that security forces have killed 114 militants so far this year, including 32 Pakistani militants.
Police said the two militants were killed in a gunfight in Chandigam Lolab forests in the frontier district of Kupwara. One of them was identified as Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Sedow Shopian, who was arrested earlier and disclosed the location of other militants in a hideout in forest area.
“Yesterday, two Pakistani terrorists were neutralised in Chandigam Lolab, while two more terrorists were killed today, taking the toll to four,” a police spokesman said.
The three Pakistani militants were identified by Police as Bambar Khan, Al-Bakash and Aftab Bhai of Lashkar-e-Toiba. A local militant identified as Showkat Sheik, resident of Sedow in Shopian, was also killed during the encounter.

“Showkat was the mastermind behind an IED blast in a private vehicle at Sedow Shopian (on June 2), in which a soldier was martyred and other was injured. During his interrogation, the accused revealed that he used to ferry terrorists and arms/ammunition from Lolab to Shopian. Kupwara Police got his custody changed by the order of Court and arrested him in a terror-related case,” the spokesman said.

“During his interrogation in Kupwara, he revealed several sensitive information related to terrorists operating in Lolab valley of Kupwara. On his disclosure, an operation was launched and he also got trapped in the initial encounter, in which one foreign terrorist was neutralized.
“Several attempts were made to rescue him, but he also got neutralised in the firing by terrorists. Later, two more foreign terrorists were neutralised,” he added.
Two AK-series rifles, six AK Magazines, an M-4 rifle along with a Magazine and three live grenades were recovered from their possession, police said.
In a separate gunfight, a local militant of Lashkar was killed in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir. Police said an anti-militancy operation was launched last night at Chatapora in Pulwama following inputs about the presence of militants in the village.
As the joint team of forces were zeroing in on the target, militants opened fire, leading to a gunfight in which one militant was killed, they added.
Police identified the slain as Suhail Ahmad Khan of Maidan Chogal Handwara, associated with LeT.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar termed the elimination of seven militants in less than 24 hours as a “big success”.
(UNI)

#Terrorism, #Kupwara