Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Dec 29: Two Army men were injured today in a gun battle with Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in Shahgund area of Hajin in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
Sources said that on a specific input about the presence of militants in the area, Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a joint operation in Shahgund Hajin area early today.
At least three militants of LeT, who were hiding in the village, opened fire at the troops who were laying cordon around Gulshanpora Mohalla of Shahgund in Hajin, injuring two Army men. The injured Army men were shifted to hospital for treatment but the militants under the cover of heavy fire and darkness fled.
The security forces cordoned off the adjacent areas but could not trace out the militants who were hiding in the village and fled after a brief gun battle.
Sources said that these were the same militants who fled from the cordon in Parray Mohalla Hajin, when Army’s 13 Rashtriya Rifles, Special Operations Group (SOG) Bandipora and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned it off last week.
They said that these militants identified as Musaib and Maviya and Khitab, all Pakistanis, infiltrated into Kashmir this year and are operating in this area for past few months. Security forces have been tracking them for last few months in the area.
This is for the second time that militants fled from the cordon since last evening in Kashmir.
A group of militants fled after security forces cordoned off Bandzoo village in Pulwama district of South Kashmir last evening. Security forces received specific information about presence of a group of militants in the orchard area of the village last evening.
Sources said that local militants of LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen had a meeting in the orchards to chalk out the strategy and security forces after receiving information cordoned it off but the militants managed to flee.
Security forces later conducted searches of these orchards but militants had fled. They, however, recovered two pouches, one magazine, 60 rounds of ammunition and some food items.
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