5 militants active in Srinagar: IGP
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 17: Two Al-Badr militants were today killed in an encounter in Khonmoh area of Srinagar.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar today said that Srinagar police received a tip-off yesterday evening about presence of militants in the area after which the lead was further developed.
“Police, Army and the CRPF laid a siege in Khommoh area. Two militants were hiding in the area. They were repeatedly asked to surrender, but they turned down all offers. This morning, the encounter started and both the militants were killed. The slain duo are locals from Al-Badr outfit”, he said. Click here to watch video
He added that Khonmoh and Khrew areas are connected with Tral belt of Pulwama district and this stretch usually witnesses militant movement.
Police identified the slain militants as Wasim Bashir Pandit son of Bashir Ahmad Pandit, a resident of Kakapora and Mudasir Ahmad Khanday son of Farooq Ahmad Khanday, resident of Bargam Awantipora. “Both the slain militants were affiliated with Al-Badr outfit,” police said.
As per police records both the slain militants were part of groups involved in several militancy related incidents including planning and executing of attacks on police and security forces.
“Arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials 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,” police said.
In the meantime, the IGP said that there are five militants active in Srinagar who are being tracked while as there is a vast network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) in the district of which many were arrested while C-category OGWs are being counselled and handed over to their families.
“There were six active militants in Srinagar of which one was recently killed in Kokernag (Anantnag) gunfight. Now there are five local militants still active in Srinagar who would either be killed or apprehended,” the IGP said.
He said that there is a vast network of OGWs active in Srinagar district of which many have already been arrested and booked under PSA and many are still on the police radar. “There are C-category OGWs who are being counselled and handed over to their families,” he added.
Asked whether there was any foreign militant active in Srinagar, he said inputs about the movement of foreign militants continues to pour in but as of now “no foreign militant is permanently active in Srinagar district.”
To a query that IEDs are turning out to be a major challenge for security forces, he said that security forces are effectively dealing with the IED threat as is evident with the recent seizure of 10-kg IED material in Shopian followed by the detection of another IED by the Army. “We are aware of the IED threat and are effectively dealing with the same by timely detection,” he added.
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