Four terrorists including 2 Pakistanis killed in two encounters in Kupwara and Kulgam

Srinagar, Jun 19 (PTI) Four terrorists, including two Pakistanis, were killed in two separate encounters with security forces on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara and Kulgam districts, police said.

While two terrorists were killed in Kupwara as many were eliminated in Kulgam, they said, adding some more ultras are hiding and operations are underway in both the areas.

Security forces launched an anti-terrorist operation on the disclosure of an arrested terrorist, Showkat Ahmad Sheikh, in a forest area of Chandigam Lolab of Kupwara, in north Kashmir, a police spokesman said.

During the search of a hideout, the hiding terrorists started firing indiscriminately at the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter, he said.

In the initial exchange of fire, one terrorist was killed and the arrested terrorist leading the search party also got trapped, the spokesman said.

In the ensuing encounter, two Pakistani terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed so far. Heavy exchange of fire is still going on and the operation is in progress, he added.

Meanwhile, based on specific input regarding the presence of terrorists in the Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam, in south Kashmir, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces there, the spokesman said.

As the search party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately at them. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter, he said.

In the ongoing encounter, two local terrorists were killed. They have been identified as Haris Sharief of Srinagar and Zakir Padder of Kulgam, the spokesman said.

As per police records, Sharief was linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT and Padder with JeM. Both were categorised terrorists, he said.

Both the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police and security forces as well as civilian atrocities, the spokesman said.

The operations in Kupwara nd Kulgam are going on and further details regarding them will follow, he said.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said counter-terrorist operations, especially against foreign terrorists, will continue across the Valley.

He said the terrorists cannot deter the efforts of the security forces to bring peace in Kashmir.

“By targeting innocent civilians including women & kids, unarmed policemen & outside labourers, terrorists can’t deter our efforts to bring peace in valley. Our CT operations will continue simultaneously in all 3 regions of Kashmir, specially against foreign terrorists,” Kumar said on Twitter.