3 hideouts busted, militant arrested
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Sept 4: Three militants were killed and 3 security force personnel including an Army officer were injured in a fierce gun battle in Pattan area of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, told Excelsior that an encounter broke out between militants and security forces this morning at Yadipora village of Pattan in Baramulla district.
He said that security forces including police, 29 RR of Army and 176 battalion CRPF cordoned off Yadipora village late last night after inputs about presence of militants in the village. He said that the contact with the militants was established in the morning.
The IGP said that the hiding militants were given the opportunity to surrender. “However, they refused to surrender and instead held two families comprising of 12 members including children hostage. It was therefore after strenuous efforts of joint security forces that all the family members were rescued and evacuated,” he said.
In the first assault, a militant was killed while an Army officer sustained bullet injury in his chin and two police men also sustained injuries. The condition of the Army officer is stated to be stable.
Three militants were killed and their bodies retrieved from the site encounter. Two militants have been identified as Shafqat Ahmad of Delina in Baramulla district and Hanan Bilal Sofi of Old town in Baramulla district.
Police recovered incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition from the site of encounter. “The last rites of the slain militants will be performed after conducting their medico-legal formalities including collection of DNA. In case any family claims their kith and kin, they can come forward for their identification and participation in the last rites to PCR Baramulla,” police said.
And security forces had a brief gun battle with a group of militants in Babhoora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.
Security forces including Police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Babhoora orchard area during which militants fired on them leading to a brief gun battle.
The area is under cordon and operation has been put on hold. It is not clear whether the militants managed to escape or are hiding in the cordoned area.
And security forces today busted three militant hideouts of Jaish-e-Mohammad and recovered incriminating material in Tral area of Awantipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Police said that on a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched by Awantipora Police, 42 RR of Army and 180 Bn CRPF in Buchoo and Kamla area of Tral.
“During the search in the area by the joint team of forces, three hideouts of JeM were busted. The joint team was able to recover incriminating materials from the hideout. The incriminating material has been taken into police custody for the purpose of investigation,” he said.
Police said that a case (under FIR number 78 of 2020 under relevant Sections of law) was registered at Police Station Tral and investigation into the matter has been initiated.
And security forces today arrested an LeT militant Shanaf Akbar Bhat of Khadermoh Kakapora in Pulwama district.
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