Pulwama (J&K): Two militants were neutralized on Friday in an encounter at Khrew Pampore area of Pulwama district, the J&K Police said, adding that the gun battle between militants and government forces concluded. "One of the two terrorists killed in Khrew, Awantipora was involved in the killing of a peon at a govt school in Pastuna on July 23 this year. He has been identified as Musaib Mushtaq of Khrew. Second killed terrorist has been identified as Muzamil Ahmad Rather, a resident of Chakoora, Pulwama," said Vijay Kumar, the IGP of Kashmir.
"As per the initial inputs both the slain militants are locals and are affiliated to Hizbul Mujahideen militant outfit. A joint team of Police, Army and CRPF had launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants at Khrew area of Pulwama's Pampore town. When the joint team of forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them triggering the gunfight," the official further said, adding that the identity of the militants would be ascertained soon.
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Earlier, last evening, unidentified militants hurled a grenade at a police and CRPF checkpoint in Saraf Kadal, Srinagar, injuring two policemen and a civilian. Meanwhile, militants on Thursday had even shot Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader Ghulam Hassan Lone, outside his residence in the Devsar area of Kulgam. During the attack, Lone was critically injured and later succumbed to injuries. This is the third such incident in the last ten days. The attack comes days after a BJP leader was killed by suspected militants in the same district.
Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) Chief Altaf Ahmad Bukhari termed the incident barbaric and conveyed deep anguish over the innocent killings of political activists who lay down their lives for public welfare. "Apni Party strongly condemns the cowardly act on our prominent political worker Ghulam Hassan Lone," JKAP tweeted.
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On August 17, Javid Ahmad Dar, BJP’s president of Homeshalibugh constituency, was shot dead by militants from point black range outside his house in the Brazloo area of the district. While on August 9, BJP Sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Dar and his wife from the Redwani area were shot dead by militants. In a similar incident, suspected militants lobbed a grenade at the house of BJP leader Jasbir Singh in Rajouri district killing a child and injuring six others.
