Two Lashker-e-Taiba militants killed in Kashmir's Anantnag

Two local militants, affiliated with Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Taiba, were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

The gunfight broke out after personnel of army and J&K police launched a cordon-and-search-operation (CASO) in Naina village of Sangam, Anantnag, 46 kms from, here, following specific inputs about the presence of the militants in the area on Friday night, police said.

As forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired on the search party, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter in which two militants were killed.

J&K police chief Dilbag Singh while confirming the killing of two militants in the encounter identified them as Naveed Bhat alias Furkan and Aaqib Yaseen Bhat, both affiliated with the LeT.

“They were involved in several terror activities,” he said while addressing a pEresser, here.

The latest encounter comes just three days after three militants affiliated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit were killed in a similar gun-battle with security forces in Tral area of southern Pulwama district.

The police chief said that 25 militants have been killed since the beginning of this year in 12 operations across Jammu and Kashmir. “More than 40 over-ground-workers of terrorists have also been arrested during the period,” he added.

Since August 5 when the Center abrogated J&K’s special status under Article 370 till date, only 22 encounters have been reported across J&K in which 44 militants were killed. From January to July last year over 135 militants were killed by security forces while over 260 ultras were neutralised in 2018.