Six militants killed in operations in Kulgam, Rajouri: J&K police

Five militants, linked to the Resistance Front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, hid inside two buildings in Jammu and Kashmir, which were razed in an operation conducted jointly by the Army, police and CRPF

Army jawans return from encounter site in Kulgam district, on November 17, 2023. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

Six militants were killed in two operations in Jammu and Kashmir on November 17, the police said.

Five militants were killed in an overnight encounter in the Samno pocket of D.H. Pora in Kulgam. The militants were hiding inside two structures that were razed in the operation with the help of explosives, following a fierce gunfight, a police spokesman said.

In the Pir Panjal Valley of Jammu, one was killed during an anti-militancy operation in Rajouri. The police said the terrorist was neutralised at Behrot in the Budhal area of Rajouri. “A huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. The identity of the terrorist is being ascertained,” the police said.

On the Kulgam operation, a police spokesman said: “During the search operation on Thursday afternoon, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon security forces. Due to darkness, the operation was kept on hold till early Friday morning. With the first light, the operation was resumed and it resulted in the elimination of five terrorists.”

Reinforcements were rushed to the area to seal the encounter site at night. The Army, police and CRPF participated in the operation.

The police identified the slain militants as Yasir Bilal Bhat, alias Humais from K.G. Raina Wanpoh; Danish Hameed Thoker from Chakoora, Shopian; Ubaid Ahmad Padder from Chakoora, Shopian; Sameer Farooq Sheikh from Chak Cholend, Shopian; and Hanzal Yaqoob Shah, alias Hanzilla from Rawalpora, Shopian.

“All the killed terrorists were linked to the Resistance Front of the Lashkar-e-Taiba,” the police said.

The slain militants were involved in a number of attacks on minority pickets, they added. “Farooq and Hameed were involved in an attack on a Kashmiri Pandit, Sonu Bhat, of Chotigam, Shopian. Hameed, along with Hanzal Yaqoob Shah, was involved in a terror attack on non-local labourers at Gagren, Shopian, on July 13, in which three labourers from outside J&K got injured,” the police said.

Sheikh was also involved in instigating and luring local youth to join terrorist ranks, the police said. He is also accused of attacking a minority picket at Heepora Batagund, Shopian, they added. Four AK-series rifles, four grenades and two pistols were recovered from the encounter site.

From the Rajouri encounter site, one AK-series rifle, three magazines, three grenades and a pouch were recovered. The militant, who was hiding in a house, fired upon the search party, the police added.