Suhail Khan / Jehangir Lolabi
Srinagar, April 06 (GNS): At least three families from South Kashmir have approached police, claiming that their kin are among five militants killed in a gunfight in snowbound woods of Kupwara in north Kashmir.
The families, two from Shopian district and another one from the Kulgam district are said to have reached Kupwara, demanding handing over of the bodies for performing the last rites. However, police said that it was premature to comment as the identification process would be done once the bodies are handed over by the army.
Sources told GNS that the families have received information through anonymous means that their kin have been killed in the gunfight. Police sources that the intelligence inputs also suggest to the possibility of at least three militants being residents of Shopian and Kulgam but maintained that it would be concluded after completing the identification process.
SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar (IPS) reserved comment regarding it. “When identification of the (slain militants) has not been done, there is no need to comment upon it,” he told GNS.
About the operation which saw the killing of several army soldiers including a JCO besides five militants, the SSP said: “From last four days, an operation is going on. It was in an infiltration bid and operation had been launched based on a specific intelligence report. It is a difficult terrain as such the operation got prolonged. It is still snowbound. There is no motorable road. This operation has been completed successfully amid the difficult situation.”
He also termed it as “a very big success” for the security establishment. “While the world is under the grip of coronavirus, Pakistan continues to sponsor terror and people working against humanity have been given a befitting reply. 5 militants have been killed. A search operation is still going on and bodies are being retrieved and their identification has not been done so far,” he added. (GNS)