SRINAGAR Four militants, three of them from Pulwama and another from Sopore, were killed in two separate encounters with government forces in Shopian and Kupwara district of Valley, police said.
Based on credible inputs about the presence of terrorists in Yawran area of Keller in Shopian district, a cordon and search operation was launched by Police and (government) forces in the area, a police spokesman said.
As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants, he said. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight during which three (militants) were killed, the spokesman said, adding, Incriminating materials including 03 AK 47 rifles were recovered from the site of encounter.
He identified the slain as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama.
According to the police records, the spokesman said, it was a combined group of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and LeT. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
Thousands of people assembled in the respective villages of the slain trio to offer their funeral prayers amid shutdown in Pulwama district. Eye-witnesses said that a large number of mourners including women staged massive pro-freedom, pro-Islam and anti-India protests.
Reports said that a militant group also appeared in the native village of the slain Aqib and offered him a gun-salute.
Following the killing, a complete shutdown amid clashes was observed in native villages of the slain militants and adjoining areas including Pulwama town.
The authorities also snapped internet services in twin districts of Pulwama and Shopian as a precautionary measure
Meanwhile, a Jash-e-Mohammad militant from Sopore was killed in a gunfight with a joint team of government forces at Yaroo area of Langate Handwara in north Kashmirs Kupwara district.
Based on credible inputs about the presence of (militants) in Yaroo area of Langate in Handwara, a cordon and search operation was launched by Police and (government) forces in the area, the police spokesman said
As the searches were going on, he said, the search party was fired upon by the hiding militants and the fire was retaliated, leading to a gunfight.
In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter. He identified the slain militant as Danish Ahmad Dar resident of Sopore.
According to police records, the killed (militant) was affiliated with JeM outfit and was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of (militant) crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, he said.
Incriminating materials including rifle and grenades were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other (militant) cases.
Thousands of people later on Thursday turned up for the funeral prayers of Danish. Danish was laid to rest at the martyrs graveyard at Saidpora.
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