Two LeT militants killed as encounter breaks out in J-K's Baramulla

The security forces acted on input about the presence of militants in the Wanigam Payeen Kreeri area of Baramulla district. They launched a cordon and search operation early morning on Thursday.

Srinagar: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants got killed in an encounter that broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district in the early hours of Thursday, police said.

"Two #terrorists neutralised. Identification being ascertained. #Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including 01 AK 47 rifle and one pistol recovered. @JmuKmrPolice," the Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation acting on inputs about the presence of militants in the Wanigam Payeen Kreeri area of Baramulla district. Some incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK 47 rifle and one pistol have been recovered in the search operation. A police personnel said that the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon a security personnel who retaliated in return.

The militants have been identified as Shakir Majid Najar and Hanan Ahmad Seh, residents of Shopian. Both of them are locals ascribed to the proscribed terror unit LeT, ADGP Kashmir said adding that both of them joined the terror unit in March 2023. Further investigation into the incident is on, he added.

"We received information about some LeT terrorists hiding in Wanigam Payeen Kreeri area of Baramulla. A joint search operation was launched. During this, they opened fire on us. In retaliatory firing, two terrorists have been killed and one AK-47 rifle and one pistol have been recovered. An FIR has been registered and investigation is underway," SSP Amod Ashok said.

Earlier on Wednesday, two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. Police officials said that an encounter broke out between terrorists and the security forces near the Pichnad Machil area in the Kupwara district on Wednesday morning.

"Two terrorists have been killed in the encounter and the search operation is underway," officials said. "The Indian Army and Kupwara police are on the job," they added.

The Defence Public Relations Officer (PRO) Srinagar said that the security personnel had launched an operation based on inputs provided by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara. They alerted that one of the terrorist launch pads is likely to infiltrate from across the Line of Control (LOC) towards Machhal sector.

"Troops were put on high alert on May 1," the PRO said adding that a well-coordinated counter-infiltration grid was put in place in the area. Indian Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) Kupwara were also deployed at the possible routes of infiltration, the PRO said. The militants were sighted by the troops Wednesday morning. An intense firefight broke out between the two sides which resulted in the elimination of two terrorists.

The bodies of the two militants were subsequently recovered along with two AK series rifles, magazines and a huge cache of arms and ammunition. Their identity and the affiliated militant groups is presently being ascertained.