Srinagar, Aug 19: Three militants, including a teenage boy who had joined militancy nine days ago, were killed in separate gunfights in Shopian and Kupwara districts on Wednesday, a local news agency GNS reported.
It said that the top LeT commander Naseer ud Din Lone of Sopore was among two militants killed in an encounter at Ganipora Kralgund area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar told GNS that Lone was involved in killing of 3 CRPF personnel at Sopore on April 18 this year and 3 CRPF men at Handwara on May 4 this year.
Official sources said that Naseer ud din was leading the group of militants who had attacked security forces in Sopore and Handwara in which six CRPF men were killed. The other slain militant is believed to be from Pakistan, the officials said.
They said earlier, a joint team of Police, Army’s 32 RR and CRPF launched a joint cordon-and-search operation in the area. “Militants hiding there opened fire which was retaliated, triggering an encounter,” they added.
Teenage militant killed in Shopian gunfight
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old boy who had joined militant ranks only nine days ago was killed in a gunfight with the security forces at Chitragam Mulu area in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday, the GNS said.
It said that a joint team of Police, Army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation this afternoon amid specific inputs about the presence of the militants in the area.
As the joint team encircled the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering an encounter in which one militant was killed.
As the guns fell silent, sources said, the joint team launched a massive search operation, recovering the body of the one militant while two others escaped.
The slain militant was identified by the official sources as Talib Hussain Mir son of Nissar Ahmad Mir, of Malikpora Shopian who according to them had joined Hizb-ul-Mujahideen ranks on August 10 this year. However till filing of this report, official confirmation was awaited as also recovery of arms and ammunition from the site of gunfight. (GNS)
