Qayoom Khan
Pulwama, June 2 (GNS): Two militants were killed in a gunfight with joint team of police, army and CRPF in Saimoh area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday. While one militant was killed in the early morning, his associate was “neutralized” later in the day, a police official said.
Confirming the killing of two militants, Inspector general of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar told GNS it was a “clean operation and there was no collateral damage.”Sources said that the slain militants belong to jash-e-Mohammad outfit even as officially the identity and the group affiliation of the slain duo was not revealed hitherto.
As per sources, the slain include Mohammad Muqbool Chopian, a resident of Seer Tral and Aqib Ramzan of Braw Badina Pulwama. Chopan, was around 40-year-old and is survived by three daughters, elder one studying in first year, besides son and wife. Sources said that he had joined militant ranks in April this year while was active from last one year. Earlier a joint team of Police, Army’s 42 RR and 180 battalion of CRPF launched a joint cordon-and-search-operation in Saimoh area amid “specific inputs” about the presence of the militants.
As the joint team approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off an encounter. After an initial fierce firefight, there was a lull in between and resumed to finally culminate into the killing of both militants, sources said.
Bodies of both the militants were recovered. Two weapons and other ammunition were also recovered from site of gunfight, they said. Both of them were buried at Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, sources added. (GNS)
