Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 10: Five militants of Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba including a top commander were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of South Kashmir today.
A joint team of Police, Army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of militants in the area. The militants hiding in a shed in an orchard fired upon security forces, triggering an encounter in which five militants were killed.
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Police said that the identification and affiliation of the killed militants is being ascertained. However, as per credible sources the killed militants belonged to Hizb and LeT. One of them was district commander of HM.
Sources identified them as Shakir Ahmad Paul alias Owais Amin son of Abdul Gani Paul of Dangarpora Shopian, Adil Nazir Lone son of Ganapora Shopian and Sajjad Ahmad Baigh son of Mohammad Yusuf Baigh of Dangarpora Imam Sahib Shopian.
Police said that incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.
This was the third encounter in the district in last four days during which 14 militants including few top commanders were killed.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, described it as a major success for the security forces. He said that the encounter has shown that Hizb and TRF militants are working together.
“I congratulate our forces for showing highest order of professionalism which led to no collateral damage. The general public has been cooperating with us”, he said.
He added that all the dead bodies were sent to Baramulla for last rites.
Commander 12 Sector of Army’s RR, Brigadier Ajay Katoch, while sharing details of the gun battle said that it last for over 6-7 hours and there were 6-7 attempts made by the militants to break the cordon. “At around 0700 hours, a terrorist moved closer to the cordon and lobbed a grenade and brought down a heavy volume of fire on the spot in the cordon. His attempt was prevented by the alert troops and he was neutralized at 0700 hours”, he said.
“Around 1200 hours, two more militants tried to break the cordon. They brought down a heavy volume of the fire on the search party which was inside the orchard. The fire was retaliated by the search party, and both the militants were neutralized”, the Army Commander said.
“Around 1300 hours, two more militants again made up a futile attempt of breaking the cordon. The cordon parties immediately retaliated and neutralized both the militants. In the entire operation there was no harm or damage done to civilian life or to the property”, he added.
Brigadier Katoch said that police and the CRPF successfully prevented the stone pelters from interfering with the operation wherein they had gathered in large numbers.
“Over the last 48 hours, 9 terrorists have been eliminated around Shopian, and if we take in account operation Reban, which was also conducted in East of Ranmbiara around Shopian, a total of 14 terrorists have been eliminated”, he added.
“These terrorists were involved in numerous notorious acts including the killing of apple traders in Trenz last year, carrying out excessive on the local populace, threatening and harassment of innocent civilians, businessmen and shopkeepers”, he said.
“These terrorists were also involved in brainwashing and coercing the local youth in joining the terrorist ranks. There are also reports of them being involved in the abduction of police personnel and carrying out standoff attacks and grenade attacks on security forces’ pickets”, he said.
“Hizbul Mujahideen, over the last few months especially after the operation that we did in Beighpora wherein their operational chief commander Riyaz Naikoo was eliminated, has suffered a lot of setbacks where their leadership has been targeted”, the Sector Commander said.
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