Srinagar: One of the longest-surviving militants, along with an associate, was killed in an encounter with government forces in the Nihama area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Monday.
A police officer said that a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation on Sunday evening based on a specific input.
As the joint forces intensified their search towards the suspected hideout, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering a prolonged gunfight, he said.
“Despite being given the opportunity to surrender, the militants declined,” the officer said, adding that the exchange of fire lasted for several hours, resulting in the deaths of two militants.
He identified the slain as Riyaz Ahmad Dar, a resident of Sethargund Kakapora, who had been active for the last eight years, and Rayees Ahmad of Larve Kakapora, who had been active for three years.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, V K Birdi, termed the killings as a significant development towards achieving a militancy-free Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the encounter, which began on Sunday evening and continued until Monday afternoon, resulted in the killing of the two militants.
An official said that the Kakapora hamlet in Pulwama was once a hotbed of militancy particularly associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “With the elimination of these two active militantss, the area of Kakapora no longer has any active militants,” he said
