SRINAGAR – Two militants were killed in an encounter with government forces in Awantipora town of Pulwama district of south Kashmir on Tuesday, a police spokesperson said. It was the first gunfight between militants and the government forces after August 5, the day Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 was revoked and the state bifurcated into two Union Territories.
He said the gun battle broke out between militants and security forces on the outskirts of Awantipora this morning following a tip about the presence of militants in the area.
The police spokesman identified the killed militants as Ufaid Farooq Lone alias Abu Muslim resident of Awantipora and Abbas Bhat.
“The killed (militants) as per police records were affiliated with LeT and were wanted by law for their complicity in crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.”
According to the Police records, Ufaid Farooq Lone had a history of crime records since 2018 and was involved in planning and executing several attacks and civilian “atrocities” in the area, the spokesman said.
“As per the police records, he had been carrying out (militant) activities in the areas of Awantipora across the belts of river Jehlum in the areas of Reshipora and in the nearby areas of Malanpora.
Several crime cases were registered against him including Case FIR No. 38/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on security forces, Case FIR No. 54/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on police station Awantipora, Case FIR No. 122/2019 pertaining to civilian atrocities, threatening, intimidation and beating of locals at Padagampora besides enforcing shutdown of business establishments and forcible suspension of transport facilities in the area.”
The spokesman added: “He was also responsible for motivating the locals from the areas of Brawbhandina to join the militant fold recently thereby strengthening the networks in the area.
Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other militant crimes. Searches in the area continue.”
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any.
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