Four militants killed in separate gunfights in Kashmir

71 militants and 18 security forces and J&K police personnel have been killed in Kashmir since the beginning of this year

Four local militants affiliated with Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Toiba outfit were killed in two separate overnight encounters with security forces in Pulwama and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir on Thursday.

Reports said security forces launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Zodar village of Kulgam, close to Srinagar-Jammu national highway,, following information about the presence of militants in the area on Wednesday night. The operation turned into an encounter when the militants opened fire at the security forces.

Kashmir police chief, Vijay Kumar said the two militants killed in the encounter were locals who were planning a big strike on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. “Two more local militants were killed in a similar gunfight in the Puchal area of Pulwama,” he said.

Reports said as a precautionary measure, the internet services were snapped in twin districts. Incidentally both the encounters came on July 8 which marks the fifth anniversary of Burhan Wani, once a poster boy of militancy in Kashmir, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8, 2016 in Kokernag area of southern Anantnag district.

In the previous years, separatists and militant organizations would issue strike calls in advance on July 8. However, since the abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 in August 2019 and subsequent crackdown on separatists, no such strike calls are issued.

Even the local media doesn't publish any statements coming from separatist and militant groups. Most of the separatist leaders have been jailed or gone into hibernation in the last two years.