Srinagar: The overnight firefight between militants and joint team of police and army in Kulgam district of south Kashmir ended with the killing of two militants of Jash-e-Mohammad, one of them being “active for five years,” while two policemen suffered injuries, officials said on Tuesday.
“On 11 April 2022, based on a specific input regarding movement of (militants) in a vehicle on Manzgam-Aharbal axis, a special joint team of Kulgam Police and Army’s 9 & 34 RR was constituted and at about 17:50 hours,” a police spokesperson said, adding, “a three-wheeler vehicle (tempo) was spotted near Khur-Batpora moving in suspicious condition and was chased and challenged.”
However, he said, militants travelling in the vehicle jumped out and resorted to indiscriminate firing towards the joint team. “The fire of the (militants) was effectively retaliated. However, in the initial firefight, two of the policemen got critically wounded and were evacuated amidst the heavy firing to 92 Base Hospital (BB Cant Srinagar) where their condition is stable now.”
He said the encounter which started at twilight lasted for the whole night and two militants—Jameel Pasha alias Usman Chachu of JeM (Pakistani) and Sameer Sofi son of Farooq Ahmad Sofi of Amshipora, Shopian were killed.
“As per Police records, Jameel Pasha was active since five years in Kulgam-Shopian belt and had a history of cases including attacks on Police/SFs, abduction of forces personnel, civilian atrocities, IED attacks, weapon looting,” he said, adding, “Besides, he was also instrumental in recruitment of gullible youth into (militant) folds.” He said that killed militants were part of the group that escaped after a brief gunfight in Chaki Samad area of Kulgam on April 9.
He said a large cache of arms and ammunition including one AK47 rifle, 3 AK47 Magazine, 36 AK 47 rounds, one Pistol, one Pistol Magazine, five Pistol rounds, one Grenade, one BP Pouch, and weapon Oil Bottle was recovered. (GNS)
