Unidentified militant killed in Kashmir’s Pulwama

An unidentified militant was killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and ultras in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.

Sources said based on a ‘credible input’ about the presence of militants, a cordon-and search-operation (CASO) was launched jointly by police and army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles in Panjran village of Pulwama, 30 kms from here.

As the forces zeroed in towards the suspected spot, the militants fired upon the forces triggering an encounter. Sources said that the body of one militant body along with a weapon has been recovered from the encounter site so far while a search operation was going on as two more militants are believed to be trapped.

Reports said clashes erupted between security forces and stone-pelting youth near the encounter site.

Over 100 militants of various groups and 59 force personnel have been killed in militancy-related violence in the Valley this year. According to official figures, 101 militants were killed from January 1 till May 31, which is higher than the corresponding period of 2018 when 71 militants were killed.

During the first five months of this year, May witnessed highest 28 killings of militants followed by 22 in February, 21 in March, 17 in January and 12 in April.

“On an average, 20 militants have been killed in each month so far,” a police official said and added 25 among them were foreigners and 76 local militants.

The deceased militants were affiliated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, an al-Qaeda affiliate in Kashmir and Al-Badr.

At least 59 force personnel were also killed in the militancy violence in the Valley in from January to May. Of 59 killings of forces men, highest 44 belonged to paramilitary CRPF, nine Army men and six policemen.

However, despite the killing of over 100 militants, around 275 militants are still active in the valley. J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh recently said about 275 militants were active in the Valley and of them, 100 to 115 were locals and remaining foreign militants.