Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 4: Security forces today averted a militant strike in Srinagar after they killed two militant commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen who were on their way to summer capital from North Kashmir to carry out a militant strike.
The militants were intercepted by police and Army and were killed in a brief shoot out in which two police officers were also injured in Sopore area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
Sources said that the militants travelling in a vehicle opened fire on a police party when they were asked to stop in Amargarh area of Sopore. A joint party of SOG of Jammu and Kashmir Police and army returned the fire, resulting in the killing of two militants.
The dead militants have been identified as Azaharuddin alias Ghazi Umar of Kandi Kupwara and Sajad Ahmed alias Babar resident of Bomai Sopore.
The injured cops were identified as SP Operations Baramulla Shafkat Hussain and Sub-Inspector Murtaza. They were shifted to a hospital for treatment and their condition is stated to be stable.
A senior police officer said that the two militants were commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen and were involved in many militant activities.
He said Sajad of Eidipora Bomai Sopore was an active militant of HM who had gone to Pakistan in March 2016 on passport and infiltrated to take command of HM in Sopore.
The officer said that the duo was involved in recruitment of local youth into militancy.
SSP Baramulla, Imtiaz Hussain, told Excelsior that police had information about presence of two militants who were on way to Srinagar to carry out an attack.
“We had an information that some terrorists are moving towards Srinagar and they were planning some kind of action there. Then after an operation was launched and a vehicle was intercepted on Sopore-Kupwara road by 52 RR and police and while the vehicle was being intercepted, the militants fired upon the joint police and army parties and in retaliatory fire two terrorists got killed”, said the SSP.
“We recovered two AK series rifles, one pistol, 4 hand grenades and other arms and ammunition from their possession. The identity of the militants is being ascertained and we are not sure from which outfit they are but it is a major breakthrough and major achievement for police and security forces because… they could have done anything but we neutralized them”, he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
