2 militants including mastermind of IED blast killed in Sopore: Police

Srinagar: Two militants were killed in a gunfight at Arampora area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday.
An army officer said that two militants were killed in the operation at Taliyan Mohalla area of Arampora, Sopore.
A police official said that in Checkipora area of Sheikhpora Sopore on Thursday, Police and security forces jointly launched a search operation based on credible inputs about the presence of militants in the area.
“During the searches, militants fired on the search party. Initially civilians were evacuated from the encounter site to the safer areas before engaging the militants in an encounter,” the official said adding that in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed. Some arms,ammunition and incriminating material was recovered from the site of encounter.
The official said that from the incriminating material recovered from the encounter site, the killed militants have been identified as foreigners from Pakistan namely Ali alias Athar and Zia-ur-Rehman. They were affiliated with militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad. “Ali was one of the important commanders of JeM and was active since 2014. He was mastermind of the Sopore IED blast in which four policemen were killed. Besides, both of them were involved in attacks on security force establishments.”
Police has registered a case in this regard and the investigation has been initiated in the instant matter.
Eyewitnesses said that two identity cards were recovered from the slain militants that revealed their address as Dardpora Kupwara. However, a police official said that investigation is being taken up to verify the authenticity of those two adhar cards. (CNS)