2 LeTmilitants killed in Sopore gunfight, thousands attend funeral prayers

Sopore: This is year so far, a close to 100 militants have been killed in 45 encounters that took place across Kashmir since January while as in Thursday’s encounter both the slain militants were identified as locals from Lashkar-e-Toiba, a militant outfit.
Top police officials privy to the figures, said that since January in a series of anti-militancy operations launched by the security agencies on the basis of credible leads about the presence of militants.
“Till May 29, 95 militants were killed and in the fresh gunfight at Sopore, two more militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba were gunned down taking the total number of militants killed this year so far 97,” the officer said, wishing not to be named. He said all the operations were launched on the basis of stepped up human intelligence supported by technical intelligence.
Another police officer while divulging the details about Sopore encounter said that two local militants were killed in a gunfight with government forces in Dangerpora, Sopore village of Baramulla district.
He said the duo was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Tobia. The officials identified the slain as Naseer Ahmad, a resident of Brath, Sopore and Muhammad Shafi of Warpora village of Sopore.
Slain militants on Thursday evening were laid to rest amid Clashes and pro freedom slogans at their native villages of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Eyewitnesses said that thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of the two slain militants at their respective villages. They said that people from adjacent villages participated in the funeral prayers of both slain despite fasting.
In Brath village amid pro freedom, Pro Pakistan and anti India slogans the slain militant Naseer Ahmad was laid to rest at local ‘martyrs’ graveyard. The Eyewitnesses said that after the funeral prayers women and men were seen beating their chests and shouting anti-India and pro-freedom slogans in Warpora Sopore.
Reports said that Asif was laid to rest amid massive pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and clashes at local Martyrs graveyard in the village.
A police official said that acting on a credible input, the forces launched a cordon and search operation in Dangerpora village. “During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said. “In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.”
Sources in the police said that Sopore encounter was 12th one in this Ramadhan that saw the killing of 19 militants alone. “In total, 45 encounters were witnessed so far,” he said.
Pertinently, in militants managed to give a slip to forces in Shopian and Kulgam districts yesterday after massive protests broke out that the gunfight sites resulting in the injuries to scores of youth. Meanwhile, thousands of people reached the native villages of two slain Lashkar militants to participate in their funerals, witnesses said.