Jaish commander among two militants killed in Kashmir’s Baramulla

A self-styled commander of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit was among two militants killed in a gunfight with security forces in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday.

The encounter erupted after the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles and J&K police launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Wanigam Payeen village of Baramulla, 60 km from here, following ‘specific’ information about the presence of militants there, police said.

During the search operation militants fired at the forces triggering a gun battle in which two militants were killed, police said.

As per sources, the killed militants were identified as Abrar alias Langoo from Pakistan and Amir Siraj from Sopore. However, police didn’t confirm their identities till evening. Siraj had gone missing on June 24 this year and was said to be an ace footballer.

Since the beginning of district development council (DDC) polls in Kashmir in the last week of November, there has been a decline in anti-militancy operations by the security forces. Today’s encounter was the just second between militants and security forces in December.

This year security forces have killed over 200 militants, including 31 foreigners, in over 90 operations across Jammu and Kashmir. As many as 157 militants were killed in Kashmir in 2019 while the number was 257 in 2018 which was the highest in a decade.