Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 6: A militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) was killed during a gun battle in North Kashmir Lolab forests today while security forces have launched massive searches against his colleagues who fled from security cordon last night.
Army today recovered body of a militant from Dardpora forests during searches along with an AK-47 rifle. The militant is believed to have been killed in the gun battle during the night.
Yesterday afternoon, Army’s 28 RR launched cordon-and-search operation following inputs about the presence of 3-4 militants of LeT in forest area near Jindyal hamlet of village Dardpora in the frontier district of Kupwara.
Militants opened firing on the troops during search operation leading to a gunbattle. The intermittent firing continued for several hours. However, later in the day militants managed to break the cordon and escaped.
Reports said that one of the militants among the group was injured during the initial exchange of fire and he too managed to escape with the other members of the group.
More troops including para commandos were rushed to the spot last evening who along with the 28 RR intensified the combing operations in the forest area to track down the fleeing militant group.
The joint team of security forces used sniffer dogs and followed the blood stains of one of the injured militant managed to intercept the group again last night.
As such the group was intercepted by the forces, the heavy exchange of gunfire resumed and continued intermittently till 5 am. The injured militant was killed in the gun battle
A Defence spokesman said here that a militant has been killed during late night gunfight and his identity is being ascertained. “Today morning when the searches were launched, the forces recovered the body of the militant along with an AK-47 rifle and other arms and ammunitions”, he said. The operation in the area is still going on, he said.
In the meantime, a spontaneous shutdown amid protests and clashes was observed in parts of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district against the killing of a Hizbul Mujahideen militant yesterday.
The Hizb militant, Bilal Ahmad, was killed in a gunbattle at Gudoora in Pulwama district with security forces last evening. The last rites of the militant were conducted today morning at his native village of Kareemabad.
Large numbers of people attended the funeral of the slain militant amid protests. Soon after the funeral, clashes between security forces and locals erupted at various places including Kareemabad and Kakapora which continued for several hours.
Meanwhile, threat posters of Hizbul Mujahideen appeared in neighbouring Sugan village of Shopian district. The posters warn people against the participation and voting in upcoming local bodies’ elections that are likely in May. Police said they have registered a case and started investigation.
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