Hideout busted, militants flee from cordon after shoot-out

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, May 31: Security forces today busted a militant hideout in Kulgam district of South Kashmir and recovered war like stores.
Police said that acting upon a credible input regarding the presence of militants in Akhal- Malwan forest belt, a cordon and search operation was launched by Kulgam Police, 9 RR of Army, 10 Para and 18 CRPF.
Police said that during the search a hideout was busted by the security forces. The hideout was used by militants.
The recoveries made from the hideout include one magazine of AK series, 30 rounds of ammunition, one gas cylinder with Stove, 6 steel plates, 3 steel pots, two frying pans, one roti maker, one edible oil bottle, medicines, five steel glasses, one plastic mug, four sleeping bags, three rucksack bags, five wollen thermocots, one track suit, three uppers and one pent shirt.
Police have registered a case (FIR No. 54/2020 under relevant Sections of law) in Police Station Devsar and investigation has been taken up.
And militants today managed to escape after engaging security forces in a brief gunfight in Posh Kreeri area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
An official said that after initial exchange of fire at around 2 am, the search operation was launched by the security forces to locate the militants in the area. However, he said no contact was established with the militants thereafter.
Earlier, encounter broke out between security forces and militants after a joint team of forces including 3 RR, CRPF and Anantnag Police launched search operation in the area.
As security forces intensified search operation towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon forces, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter. Militants managed to escape by taking advantage of the darkness.
Mobile internet services that were snapped in the district as a precautionary measure in the morning but were restored after the operation was called off.
In another incident militants abducted a policeman from a Shopian village this evening.
The militants appeared in Thairan village of Shopian district and abducted a policeman. The cop has been identified as Shakeel Ahmed. He fled from their custody.
Security forces today arrested a man from North Kashmir’s Kupwara district and recovered a pistol and brown sugar from his house.
Police in Budgam had registered a case against the accused and during the investigation a special team reached Karnah to investigate the case and recovered a pistol from his possession. He was arrested.
police recovered a pistol, 14 rounds and one packet brown sugar from the house of the arrested man at Amruhi, in Tanghdar.