Srinagar, Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed and as many CRPF personnel sustained injuries in an encounter in Srinagar on Friday.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said 78 militants, including 39 from Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), have been killed in different encounters during the last over seven months in the valley.

A police spokesperson said that following specific information about presence of militants, a joint Cordon and Search Operation was launched by Special Operation Group of Jammu and Kashmir police, CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles (RR) early today at Alamdar Colony Danmar in Srinagar.

He said security forces, after sealing all exit points, were moving towards a particular area when militants, hiding there, opened indiscriminate firing with automatic weapons. The security forces retaliated ensuing in an encounter. Additional security forces were deployed in the adjoining areas to prevent any law and order problem.

Sources said that two unidentified militants were killed while two CRPF jawans sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. “The injured were rushed to Army’s 92 base hospital, where their health condition is stated to be stable,” they added.

The slain militants have been identified as Bilal Ahmad and Irfan Ahmad Sofi, both residents of Natipora.

Meanwhile, as the news of their death spread, people, mostly youth, hit the streets at Natipora chowk and clashed with security forces. Instantaneous shutdown was also observed even as shopkeepers’ downed their shutters and traffic went off the roads in Natipora, Budshah Nagar, Aazad Basti, Nowgam and adjoining area in uptown Srinagar.

Mr Kumar said that with today’s operation, police along with security forces have killed 78 militants in valley this year so far. “In these encounters, most of the militants were affiliated with proscribed LeT. Out of 78, 39 were from LeT followed by Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Jash-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AuGH),” he added.

(Agencies)