2 militants killed in Awantipora encounter

Srinagar: Two militants affiliated one each with Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) and Lashker-e-Toiba outfits were killed in a gunfight between militants and government forces in Rajpora village of Awantipora area in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday.
A senior police official said that on Monday evening, acting on a specific input, joint team of police, Army’s 42 RR and CRPF after receiving information about the presence of militants launched search operation in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter. “During exchange of fire two local militants affiliated with JeM and LeT were killed and both were involved in several militancy related cases,” the official said.
A police spokesman in a statement issued on Tuesday said that on a specific input generated by Police regarding presence of militants in village Rajpora area of Awantipora, a joint cordon & search operation was launched by Awantipora Police, Army (42RR) and CRPF 130Bn/180Bn in the area. “During the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said. “In the ensuing encounter, two local militants identified as Shahid Ahmad Rather son of Ghulam Ahmad Rather resident of Larow Jageer, Tral linked JeM militant outfit and Umar Yousuf son of Mohd Yousef resident of Tukro Keegam Shopian linked with proscribed militant outfit LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.”
“As per police records, both the killed militants were categorized militants and part of groups involved in several crime cases including attacks on Police/SF and civilian atrocities. Besides other crimes, killed militants Shahid was involved in killing of a lady Mst Shakeela of Aripal and a government employee Javaid Ahmad of Lurgam Tral. He was also involved in motivating/recruiting local youth to join militant ranks and on his motivation Muhammad Shafi Dar of Wagad Tral had joined militant ranks who was later on neutralized in an anti-militancy operation in Kulgam on 29/12/21,” the statement said.
“In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.”