Kishtwar: SPO’s killers shot dead in encounter

Srinagar, April 17 (GNS): Jammu and Kashmir police said on Friday that two attackers, who killed a cop and injured another in Kishtwar on Monday, were killed in an encounter on Friday.

In a statement issued to GNS, a police official said that after five days of combing operation, army and police killed the two attackers who were hiding in a nallah near Saunder village of Kishtwar after carrying out attack on policemen on Monday this week.

The two had attacked and injured SPOs Pashid Iqbal and Vishal Singh when the cops had gone to the upper area of Tander, Dachan for patrolling on Monday this week. While Iqbal died after being attacked with an axe, Singh was seriously injured in the surprise attack.

Basharat Hussain and Ashiq Hussain, both residents of village Tander, Dachhan were cornered by the joint team after meticulous search and painstaking efforts for three continuous days, police official said, while claiming that the two were associated with Hizbul Mujahideen.

“On observing the movement of forces, the hiding militants fired at the search party and in the retaliatory action, both of them were killed. One AK 74 Rifle and one INSAS rifle were recovered from their possession,” he said.

The two slain, police official said had gone to a higher reach to get a mobile signal so that they could recharge their mobiles.

With the killing of the two, the police official said that an attempt by the Hizbul Mujahideen to revive militant activities in the Dachan and Marwah areas of Kishtwar has been nipped. 

The police official said that DIG Doda and senior officers of Army camped at Tander and supervised the operation. The other areas were covered by other RR Army units and the police party led by Addl SP Kishtwar and DSP operations. (GNS)