Three LeT, One Al-Badr militants killed during twin gunfights in South Kashmir

At least four militants including three from Lashkar - e - Toiba and one from Al-Badr were killed by security forces in the last 12 hours in South Kashmir. Two militants killed during Kulgam gunfight were planning a major attack on security forces along with the Srinagar - Jammu national highway.

Srinagar: Four militants, three from Lashkar - e - Toiba (LeT) and one from Al-Badr, have been killed by security forces in the last 12 hours in South Kashmir, officials said on Thursday. "Four militants have been killed in two separate gunfights in south Kashmir's Pulwama and Kulgam districts," Inspector General of Police of the Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar told ETV Bharat on phone. Giving details of the gunfights, he said, "two militants have been killed during an overnight joint operation of security forces in Pulwama's Puchal area. In another gunfight at the Zodar area of Kulgam, two more militants have been neutralised."

"Two militants killed during Kulgam gunfight were planning a major attack on security forces along with the Srinagar - Jammu national highway," he added. Meanwhile, police have claimed that the four slain militants were associated with LeT and Al-Badr outfits. "Bodies of two militants killed at Pulwama have been retrieved and they have been identified as Kifayat Ramzan Sofi son of Mohammad Ramzan Sofi resident of Padgampora, Awantipora affiliated with LeT and Inayat Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Ahad Dar resident of Samboora, Pulwama affiliated with Al-Badr," police said in a statement.

The further said, "the bodies of militants killed during Kulgam gunfight have also been retrieved and have been identified as Nasir Ahmad Pandith son of Mohd Ayoub resident of Redwani Kulgam and Shahbaz Ahmad Shah son of Ghulam Hassan Shah resident of Katrusu, Kulgam, both affiliated with LeT." The police have also claimed that arms, ammunition and other incriminating materials have also been recovered from the gunfight sites. On Wednesday, one of the longest surviving militants of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in a gunfight at the Handwara area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district. “During the last 24 hours, five militants have been killed in three gunfights in Kashmir so far,” the IGP said while calling the development a "big success for security forces."