Srinagar: Three Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF) militants were killed in an encounter at Nowgam area of Srinagar, police said Wednesday.
The police said that the slain trio were involved in the recent killing of Sarpanch Sameer Ahmed Bhat of Khonmoh. A police official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that based on a specific input generated by Police regarding presence of militants in Nowgam area of Srinagar, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police and 50RR in the area on Tuesday late evening.
“During the search operation, as the search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately at the search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. Later on CRPF also joined the encounter,” the official said.
He said that in the ensuing encounter, three categorized militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. “They have been identified as Adil Nabi Teli, resident of Galchibal Chandhara, Pampore, Shakir Ahmad Tantray, resident of Ronipora, Shopian and Yasir Ahmad Wagay resident of Kujer Frisal, Kulgam,” the official said.
A police spokesman in a statement to KNO said that as per police records, the slain militants were affiliated LeT (TRF) and active since year 2021. “They were part of groups involved in several crime cases including attack on Police/SF and civilian atrocities,” he said.
Talking to a selected group of media men in Srinagar, the IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that all the three killed militants were involved in the recent killing of Sarpanch Sameer Ahmad Bhat at Khanmoh, Srinagar. “Besides they were planning to attack on security forces on the national highway,” he said. He said that arms and ammunition including one AK rifle, 03 AK Magazines, 14 AK rounds, two Pistols, 4 Pistol Magazines and 06 Pistol rounds were recovered from the site of encounter.
IGP Kashmir termed the killing of three militants as “a big success.” “This module was targeting Panchayat representatives as their masters don’t want grassroots democracy to flourish here,” the Kashmir police chief said.
He said police have busted all the modules involved in the killing of Sarpanchs. “We also busted the module involved in the killing of a CRPF man and a TA soldier in Budgam. Only once case was pending, that of Sarpanch Sameer, and with today’s encounter, that too stands solved,” he said, adding that adequate steps have been taken to ensure safe accommodations to Sarpanchs and Panchs in Kashmir—(KNO)
