By: Umaisar Gull Ganie
Kulgam: Three militants were killed while two Army men were injured in an encounter at Chimmer village of Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Wednesday.
An official said that a joint team of Police, Army’s 09 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
The official said that in the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed, while two Army men were also injured.
“The injured soldiers were taken to Army hospital for treatment,” the official said.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman in a statement said that acting on a specific information generated by Kulgam Police about presence of militants in Chimmer area of Kulgam, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Kulgam Police, 18Bn CRPF and 09RR in the said area.
During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were repeatedly appealed to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search parties in which two Army men got injured and airlifted to Srinagar based Army hospital, the statement said, adding that the security forces also retaliated, which lead to an encounter.
In the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Waseem Ahmad Bangroo of Redwani Kulgam, Shahnawaz Ahmad of Kilbal Shopian and Zakir Bashir of Chimmer Kulgam. All the slain militants were affiliated with the LeT outfit (self claimed TRF).
Pertinently, Zakir Bashir had recently joined the outfit.
As per police records, all the slain militants were part of a group involved in various cases.
“Incriminating material including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter. In this connection, police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” police said. (KNO)