Two militants affiliated with The Resistance Front, an affiliate of Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in a predawn gunfight with security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday.
"2 terrorists of terror outfit LeT/TRF neutralised by Srinagar Police. One of the killed terrorists Ikhlaq Hajam was involved in the recent killing of HC Ali Mohd at Hassanpora Anantnag. Incriminating materials including 02 pistols recovered (sic)," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.
Reports said that the gunbattle erupted after police and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Zakura area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
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A police official said that the hiding militants were given a chance to surrender, but they refused and fired at the search party. In retaliation, both the hiding militants were killed, he said.
It's Pertinent to mention that on 29th January a head constable Ali Mohammad Ganie was shot at by the militants near his residential house at Hasanpora Tabala area of Bijbehara Anantnag.
23 militants, including eight from Pakistan, have been killed in Kashmir this year in a dozen encounters while last year 171 ultras were neutralized.
According to police figures, 156 ultras, including 73 foreigners, were active in Kashmir on December 31.
This is for the first time that the number of active militants in the Valley has come down to less than 200 since the insurgency erupted in Kashmir in 1990.
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