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Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 14: Two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) who escaped from an Army base after carrying out Fidayeen attack last month were killed in a gun battle in Handwara area of North Kashmir this afternoon.
The two militants were killed in a brief encounter in Warpora area of Handwara after 21 RR of Army and Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police Handwara carried out an operation on a specific information regarding the presence of militants in Warpora.
As the security forces launched searches in the area, militants fired upon the search party and security forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter. Two militants affiliated with LeT were killed in this brief encounter.
Two AK 47 rifles, 2 pistols, 4 AK magazines, 77 AK rounds, 2 pistol magazines, 7 pistol ammunition rounds, 2 UBGL grenades, 2 HHR, one matrix sheet C3 and C4 and C6 were recovered from the Fidayeen killed in Panzgam Army base, while one map, one feather jacket and some more articles including some cash were recovered from the encounter site.
The Commanding Officer 21 RR, Colonel Kuldeep Singh said that these two killed militants were involved in suicide attack on Panzgam Army base last month. “We found yet to heal wound on the body of one of the eliminated terrorists which is indicative of likelihood of his involvement in the Panzgam suicide attack. We have found some other evidence among war like stores confirming their involvement in Panzgam incident.”
Giving details of the operation, the Commanding Officer said: “We got information about presence of two terrorists in the forest area of Handwara. This information came to us this afternoon and we accordingly alongwith the Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir Police Handwara planned an operation to track these terrorists. When we were searching the forest area we observed suspicious movement of two individuals and on being challenged they fired indiscriminately at our joint Army and SOG party. We retaliated and firing continued for 10-15 minutes during which we were able to neutralize both the terrorists. We recovered large quantity of war like stores which includes two AK rifles, two pistols”, he said.
These militants managed to escape from the Panzgam Army base on April 27 and one had received an injury and left his AK-47 rifle there. Three Army personnel including a senior officer and two militants were killed when militants of LeT stormed into an Army base in Panzgam village of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on April 27.
Two of the militants managed to escape after Army blocked their way into the residential area of the Army base. Security forces were tracking their movement since then.
In the meantime, one Mohammad Hussain Dar son of Ghulam Ahmad of Takia Malpora, Kulgam who was injured in a militant attack early this month succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS Soura today. He was injured in a militant attack on May 6 at Mir Bazaar Qazigund, in Kulgam district.
One Azad Ahmad Rather, 18, son of Assadula Rather of Pastuna Tral was injured reportedly in a mysterious blast at Pastuna last night. He was shifted to SDH Tral, where from he was referred to SMHS Srinagar. After initial treatment he was shifted to Bone and Joints Hospital Barzulla.
Police said that they are investigating the incident in which two more persons received minor injuries.
An AK rifle and three magazines were recovered during the demolition of an old Masjid Sharief in Rajwar area of Handwara today.
Police said during the demolition of an old Masjid Sharief in Lashipora, Rajwar area of Handwara, locals found an AK rifle and 3 magazines. Later, the villagers informed Handwara police and handed the rifle and magazines to them.
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