Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed in an overnight gunfight in Gusoo village of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.A senior police official told Srinagar-based news agency GNS that the gunfight raged at around 1:15 am in Heerpora locality of Gusoo between hiding militants and government forces.
As already reported, the army’s 53 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), police’s Special Operation Group (SOG) and 123 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had cordoned off Heerpora locality on Wednesday afternoon following inputs about the presence of militants. The forces had conducted searches in the area but there was no contact with militants.
However the police official said the contact was established at 1:15 am after which heavy exchange of gunfire continued till 5:00 am. He said the in gunfire exchange two militants, including a foreigner, were killed.The slain militants were associated with LeT and were identified as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, resident of Alochi Bagh in Pulwama and Mehmood Zargam of Pakistan, the official said. The bodies of the slain militants were taken to Pantha Chowk police station for post-mortem. While as the Manzoor’s body was handed over to his family, the police gave the body of Pakistani militant to the Auqaf committee members at Boniyar in Uri area of Baramulla district for burial.Meanwhile, an army spokesperson termed the killing of militants as "big success" said the operation led to the recovery of two AK 47 rifles, four AK 47 Magazines and other war like store from the slain militants. (GNS)