Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): In a major success for the security forces in the ongoing anti-militant operation in the Gadol area of Kokernag in south Kashmir's Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday claimed to have gunned down two militants including Lashkar e Toiba militant commander Uzair Khan.
Additional Director General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar while talking to reporters at the site of the operation on Tuesday said that two militants including LeT commander Uzair Khan have been killed in a Gadole gunfight. The ADGP Kashmir said that the body of Uzair Khan had been retrieved by the security forces while the body of the second militant is lying near the site of the operation.
Also read: Kokernag encounter: Security forces recover body; sent for DNA testing
Kumar said that while the gunfight had ended in the area, a search operation would continue at the site to track any more militants possibly hiding in the area. He also asked locals to avoid visiting the spot of the encounter till the area was sanitized by the security forces. With the killings of the two militants, the death toll in the operation has reached six.
The encounter began on Wednesday, Sept 13 after the security forces launched a massive cordon and search operation in the area following specific intelligence inputs about the militant hideout in the forest area of Gadol. In the initial exchange of fire, Army Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Himayun Bhat were killed by the militants.
On Monday, security forces retrieved the body of another soldier, Sepoy Pradeep Singh. Security forces pressed hi-tech military equipment including drones and choppers into service given the difficult terrain.
Who was LeT Commander Uzair Khan: According to the local inputs, Uzair hailing from Nagam village of Kokernag had joined militancy in July last year. Uzair, who had been working as an electrician at the time, had gone missing on July 22. As Uzair did not return home and his phone was also switched off, the family lodged a missing complaint. The family was later informed by the police that Uzair had joined militant ranks.
