16:57 January 29
Encounter starts in Jammu and Kashmir
Awantipora:Three militants were killed in an encounter in Mandoora Tral area of Awantipora.
Inspector-General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that three militants were killed in the encounter. Reports said that the militants are yet to be identified.
Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the afternoon at Mandoora in Tral area of Pulwama district, following information about the presence of militants there, police said.
"Three local militants affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen have been neutralised today in Tral area of Pulwama. They have been identified as Arif Bashir Sheikh, Waaris Hassan Bhat and Syed Asif ul Haq," Vijay Kumar, IGP Kashmir, said while addressing a press conference in Srinagar.
He further said that an AK-47 rifle, two pistols and four grenades have been recovered from the slain militants.
Talking about the gunfights in Kashmir, he said, "This was the first gunfight of 2021. This year we will be focused on the surrender and stop militant recruitments by counselling youth and parents."
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"Youth are getting radicalised due to Pakistan's online propaganda and peer pressure. We are starting a portal to counsel and guide the youth," he added.
IGP asserts that the three youth killed during lawaypora gunfight were militants.
"One of them was counselled earlier by police. That very day they left together in the same vehicle and were in touch with Pakistan based operatives through virtual sims. We have got all the details regarding them after tracing metadata of their phones," he said while adding, "Parents claim are not always true we will produce evidence in court that they can't deny the involvement of their children in militancy."
He further said, "Five and ten per cent militants who are neutralised are without any record but are identified and link to militancy gets established after technical inputs and surveillance records."
