Srinagar:Three militants inducing a foreigner were killed in two encounters in Kashmir while the body of the missing army soldier was found after three days. The first encounter took place in Naina village of Pulwama district in which two LeT militants were killed while a third militant, a Pakistani resident, was killed in a brief shoot out in Hazratbal in Srinagar.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Thursday said that three militants including a foreign militant came to snatch weapons from a policeman guarding the revered shrine of Hazratbal shrine. In a brief shoot-out, one foreign militant got killed while two managed to flee from the spot. “Three militants including a foreigner who was active for the past six months in Srinagar tried to snatch the weapon from a guard at Hazratbal shrine. The alert policeman fired at the militant and foiled the bid. In retaliation, one foreign militant whose video was also viral on social media recently was killed while two others managed to flee who are being tracked down,” IGP Kashmir told reporters, outside the revered shrine of Hazratbal. He said militants are using religious places to take shelter but police are very active and will foil all such bids.
The IGP said he was identified as Manzoor, a Pakistani national. "The killed terrorist along with two other terrorists who managed to escape from the spot were on a mission to snatch weapon from the police personnel guarding the Hazratbal Shrine," he said. The IGP said that two local militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba first entered the masjid in Naina, Pulwama and after initial exchange of fire they took shelter in a nearby structure. “Both were killed,” he said. They have been identified as Shahid Ahmed Khan son of Mohi-ud-din Khan resident of Batpora, Pulwama and Fayaz Sheikh son of Gh Rasool Sheikh resident of Shahpora, Ganderbal. Two Army personnel sustained splinter injuries during the encounter.