Two unidentified militants killed in Kashmir

Two unidentified militants were killed after they attacked an army patrol in Qaziabad forest area of Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Wednesday night.

A police official said the militants fired at a patrol party of 32 Rashtriya Rifles on late Wednesday night in the forest area of Qaziqbad. Army retaliated to the fire, which triggered a gunfight and during searches, bodies of two militants were found, he said.

The identity of the slain militants could not be established till evening. The combing of the forest area is in progress, army said.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper was injured on Thursday after unidentified militants attacked him with an axe at the deputy commissioner’s office of Kulgam in south Kashmir.

SSP Kulgam Harmeet Singh said some persons attacked the CRPF man with the axe to snatch his service rifle. However, the paramilitary trooper resisted and foiled their attempt, he said.

Despite the announcement of Non-Initiation of Combat Operations (NICO) by the Center during the holy month of Ramazan, several attacks have occurred in the last two weeks. The militants have also snatched five rifles from the policemen after the NICO was announced on May 16.

During his recent visit to Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that the decision of NICO was taken for stability and development of every youth and residents of Kashmir.