Two militants killed in Srinagar gunfight
AK-47 rifle, one pistol, four grenades recovered from site of encounter; militants had attacked soldiers, police officers, civilians in Valley
SRINAGAR : Two militants involved in the killings of policemen and civilians in the city were neutralised in an encounter on Friday morning.
“On a specific input, the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Central Reserve Police Force launched an operation at Alamdar Colony, in Danmar area of Srinagar, which led to the gunfight,” a police spokesperson said.
The holed-up militants were given repeated opportunities to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately on the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter in the early hours.
“The militants belonged to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (the selfclaimed The Resistance Front) and have been identified as Irfan Ahmad Sofi and Bilal Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Natipora, Srinagar, and were active since December 2020,” the spokesperson said.
Recently, the TRF said that Irfan and Bilal had left the TRF and joined the Islamic State of Jammu and Kashmir (ISJK).
As per police records, both were part of groups involved in several terror crimes cases including attacks on police, security forces and civilian atrocities.
“They were involved in the killing a personal security officer of a Peoples Democracy Party leader at Natipora; an attack on the road opening party of the Central Reserve Police Force in Lawaypora, which resulted in the death of two CRPF jawans. On June 17, they killed an on-leave police official, constable Javid Ahmad, near his residence at Saidpora. The next day they attacked inspector Parvez Ahmad at Menganwari, Nowgam,
while he was on his way to offer prayer at the local mosque,” the spokesperson said. “They were also involved in killing of a civilian Umer Nazir Bhat at his shop on June 23,” he said. The spokesperson said that the two were also involved in a series of grenade attacks as well as petrol bomb attacks on police and security forces in Srinagar city.
“On May 7, they carried out a grenade attack on a joint party of the police and CRPF at Nawabazar area of Srinagar, in which five CRPF jawans and a civilian were injured. On June 26, they carried out another grenade attack on joint party of Police and CRPF at Barbarshah, in which one civilian was killed and three civilians were critically injured.
They also carried out a grenade attack on police post at Urdu Bazar on March 5 and a petrol bomb attack on bunker of SSB at Mehjoor Nagar Band on April 26.
They have been instrumental in motivating and recruiting the youth to join terror folds in Srinagar and its adjoining areas,” the spokesperson said.An AK-47 rifle, one pistol and four grenades were recovered from the site of encounter.
Cache of explosives found in Pulwama
Security forces have recovered a huge cache of explosives, including mortar shells, and ammunition in the Tral area of Pulwama district, police said on Friday.
The recoveries included seven 51-mm mortar shells, 260 Pika rounds and other incriminating materials.