Two LeT militants killed in Srinagar shootout

One of the slain militants was from south Kashmir’s Shopian district, who was a Pakistan-trained ‘A’ category ultra

Two militants, including a foreigner, affiliated with Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit were killed in a brief shootout with security forces in Rangreth area on the outskirts of Srinagar city on Monday, police said.

A police spokesperson said the militants were killed in a brief ‘chance’ encounter at Rangreth. “Based on a specific input regarding movement of militants in Rangreth, surprise naka checking points were established,” he said.

“Two suspected persons on noticing a police team fired indiscriminately upon them. However, the fire was effectively retaliated, leading to a brief encounter, in which two militants were neutralised on the spot,” he added.

He identified one of the slain militants as Aadil Wani of Daramdoora from south Kashmir’s Shopian district, who he said was a Pakistan-trained ‘A’ category ultra.

The other slain militant, as per the credible sources is a foreigner, yet the same is being further ascertained and both were affiliated with LeT outfit. Both of them were involved in a number of recent killings in Srinagar, police said.

The latest shootout in Srinagar comes less than three weeks after three militants, including teenager Mehran Yasin Shala, who police said was involved in targeted civilian killings in October, were killed in a similar shootout in uptown Rambagh area of Srinagar on November 24.

The militancy related incidents have seen a sharp jump in Srinagar this year with targeted killing of civilians, off-duty policemen and grenade attacks on rise. Over a dozen militants were also killed in Srinagar in several encounters this year.

According to police, the activities of hybrid or part-time militants are rising in Srinagar which they say is difficult to track and poses a challenge to the security forces.

Last year in July, the police had declared Srinagar ‘militant-free’. However, the latest encounters, killings and attacks come as a reminder from the militants that its presence has increased in the city, which not long ago was considered as a zero-militancy zone till 2019.

Even as militants fired gunshots or lobbed grenades at some places, there was no major militant strike in 2018 or 2019. The worry for the security agencies is that the latest encounters and attacks occurred in the city at a time when militants are on the defensive in south Kashmir, where they have suffered heavy losses in the recent years.

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