Two LeT militants killed in Anantnag gun fight, one hails from Doda

Anantnag: Two militants were killed in a pre-dawn gun fight on Wednesday in Lal Chowk area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The slain militants according to police belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
A police official said that a joint patrol of Security Forces in the early hours of Wednesday morning launched searches at Lal Chowk area in District Anantnag after it received credible leads about the presence of the militants inside a house.
“As the security forces advanced towards the suspect house, the militants hiding inside fired on them, which was retaliated resulting in an encounter in which two militants were killed. Besides, no collateral damage occurred during the encounter,” said the police official.
He said that on the basis of the incriminating materials seized, it is established that they belonged to proscribed militant organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. The slain militants were identified as Bilal Ahmad Dar alias Bin Yamin Dar son of Muhammad Yousuf Dar of Sofi Mohalla Khudwani Kulgam and Abid Hussain Bhat son of Wali Muhammad of Khazan Doda. Abid was active from past one month. Reports said that Bilal had joined militant ranks in July last year
As per police records Bilal alias Bin Yamin Dar was involved in series of militant acts.
Some arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter.
Police has registered a case and investigation has been initiated into the matter.
Authorities placed major parts of the district under curfew to stop protests while internet service was also snapped to stop flow of information and photographs related to encounter. Eyewitnesses said that scores of youth hit to roads of the district in Kadipora, Bakshi Abad, Mehandi Kadal and other parts who clashed with government forces. The forces resorted to tear-smoke shelling. The clashes left many protesters and cops wounded.
The Lal Chowk area of the district Anantnag had witnessed last gunfight in 1995, said a police official.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the last rites of slain militant Bin Yamin at Khudwani Kulgam. The slain militant was laid to rest amid pro-freedom slogans.