Jammu & Kashmir: 5 militants, SPO killed in gunfights

Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir, India, (Dawn): Five militants and a SPO were killed in two separate encounters in Pulwama and Doda districts of the state Wednesday. 

Three militants including a commander of Hizbul Mujahideen were killed in a 10-hour long gunfight with troops in Keller area of this south Kashmir district, police said. 

Senior superintendent of police, Pulwama Syed Kifayat Hyder said that on specific information about the presence of militants, troopers of 44 Rashtriya Rifles and SOG Shopian and Pulwama cordoned off a house in Lasidajan village near Keller area, where militants had entered during intervening night. 

“The gunfight ended this afternoon with the killing of three militants,” he said. 

He said that a house, where the three militants were holed up was also damaged in the gunfight. “Based on specific intelligence input, a cordon was laid around Lasidajan village in Pulwama district by troops. At around 3.15 PM besieged militants opened fire resulting in an encounter in which all the three militants were killed. Two AK rifles and a pistol were recovered from their possession’, Srinagar based Defence spokesperson Lt Col JS Brar said. 

“The killed militants have been identified as Latif Tedwa, a Battalion Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, Rafiq Bhat and Imran,” he said. 

Dedeer had deserted the Special Operations Group of the local police seven months back, fled with weapons and joined the Hizbul Mujahideen. 

2 MILITANTS, SPO KILLED IN DODA 

Sheikh Nasir adds from Doda: Police and army killed two commanders of Lashkar-e-Toiba, in a joint operation in the mountainous Doda district, officials said here on Wednesday. 

They said that the joint operation was launched by police, 26 RR and 31 RR, in the wee hours on Wednesday after specific inputs about the presence of militants in Jaura Khurd forest area of Gundoh tehsil. The militants, they said, were hiding in a residential house, which was also damaged in the gun battle. Two militants were killed in the gunfight, which started immediately after the troopers evacuated four civilians, who were caught in the house, defence spokesman Lt Col Biplab Nath told Greater Kashmir. 

He identified the slain militants as Abdullah Anas, LeT divisional commander and Abu Maaz, district commander of the same outfit. 

Police said both the slain militants were residents of Pakistan and were active in the area from the last more than six years. A Special Police Officer (SPO) injured in the encounter, was shifted to district hospital Doda for treatment where he succumbed.