Major, two militants killed in J&K

Two soldiers, including an Army Major, and as many militants were killed in two separate encounters between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir areas on  Thursday.

Major Kamlesh Pandey and sepoy Tanzin Chhultim were killed while sepoy Kripal Singh was injured after militants fired upon a joint team of Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police at around 2:30 am. Reports said the team had launched a cordon-and-search operation at village Matribugh, Zoipora in Shopian following a tip off about the presence of some militants.

SSP Shopian while confirming the killing of two army men including Major Pandey said that the search operation to track down the militant group was still going on in the area. However, sources said the militants believed to be three in number managed to escape after the encounter taking advantage of darkness during pre-dawn hours.

Indigenous militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has claimed the responsibility for the attack. A local news gathering agency CNS quoting Hizbul spokesperson Burhanuddin warned that such attacks will continue across Kashmir valley.

The Shopian encounter came just a few hours after another gun battle in Gopalpora area of Kulgam district where security forces gunned down two Hizbul militants in an overnight encounter following a search operation.

A police spokesperson said one of the slain militants Aaqib Itoo was involved in an attack on a bank cash van in the district on May 1 in which five policemen and two bank guards were killed.  “One INSAS rifle, one AK rifle and two magazines were recovered from the encounter site," he said.

The latest encounters took place just two days after the most wanted commander of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Abu Dujana was killed by security forces in southern Pulwama district. Another LeT militant Arif Lilhaari was also killed in that encounter.

With militancy, especially home grown, on rising, security forces have launched a massive operation to flush out the ultras. Nearly 120 militants have been killed so far this year, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a “hit list” of militants.