2 Jaish militants killed in 8-Hr long Pattan encounter : Police

Srinagar: Two local militants were killed in an eight hours long encounter that raged between militants and government forces in Yedipora village of Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday.
An official said that based on a specific intelligence inputs, a joint cordon and search operation was launched in the village and during searches contact was established with the hiding militants and in the ensuing encounter two militants were killed.
“Two militants, who were killed in an encounter were planning to carry out an attack on Army’s Angniveer recruitment rally in the district”, they added.
Addressing a presser, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, Rayees Muhammad Bhat said that the killed militants had come to Baramulla with a motive to attack army’s recruitment rally at 10 Sector Hyderbeigh headquarters in the district.
“Their mission was to fail this recruitment rally by disturbing the Youth. However we have been successful in repulsing their plan to attack the rally by killing both the militants,” he said, adding that the militants are trying to attack those people who are coming forward in the mainstream.
“An AK-74U, a new version of AK-47, which is being carried by foreign militants was also recovered from the encounter site. In addition, one AK rifle, 3 magazines, pistol along with magazine and two bullets were also recovered,” SSP further added.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a statement issued on Friday said that acting on specific information generated by Police regarding the presence of militants in village Yedipora, Pattan area of District Baramulla, a joint cordon & search operation was launched by Police, Army (29RR) and SSB (2ndBn) in the said 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 which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter,” he said. “In the ensuing encounter, two local militants linked with militant outfit JeM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Yawar Shafi Bhat resident of Kalampora Pulwama and Aamir Hussain Bhat, resident of Veshro Shopian.”