Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter that broke out between security forces and militants at Trubji in Nowpora-Kharpora hamlet of south Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said on Monday.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a joint of team of police, Army's 1 RR and CRPF after receiving information about the presence of militants launched search operation in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter, adding that during exchange of fire two militants have been killed.
A police spokesman in a statement issued to KNO said, acting on specific information generated by Police regarding the presence of terrorists in village Nowpora-Kherpora, Trubji area of Kulgam, a joint cordon & search operation was launched by Police, Army (1RR) and CRPF in the said area.
The spokesman said, during the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.
However in order to evacuate the civilians trapped around the encounter site, the joint team ensured the evacuation of all civilians to the safer places."In the ensuing encounter, two local militants of LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
They have been identified as Zubair Ahmad Mir resident of Qaimoh Kulgam and Idrees Ahmad Dar resident of Kulpora Kulgam,” he said, adding that as per police records, both the killed militants were categorized and involved in several crime cases including attacks on Police/security forces and civilian atrocities including killing of PRIs.
Police said that slain Zubair Ahmad Mir was active since August 2021 and was trying to revive the “terror folds by recruiting & motivating the gullible youth including militant Idrees Ahmad to join militancy.”“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition have been recovered from the site of encounter.
All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation,” the police said.IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar termed this operation as important stating that the encounter site was very close to national highway (yatra route) and LeT (TRF) has been issuing threat to yatra—(KNO)