2 terrorists gunned down in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian

Sri Nagar: Two Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists were gunned down on Saturday by joint teams of the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police in an encounter in the Shopian district of the Union territory, officials said.

Officials said the encounter broke out in the early hours in the Chowgam area of Shopian.

“Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists neutralised in the encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in the Chowgam area of Shopian,” Vijay Kumar, the inspector-general of the Kashmir Police, said. “One terrorist was involved in grenade firing and killing of civilians. Another terrorist had joined recently.”

A police official told the PTI news agency the security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Chowgam in south Kashmir earlier in the day after receiving inputs about the presence of terrorists in the area.

The operation turned into an encounter when the terrorists opened fire on the security personnel triggering a retaliation, the official said.

On Friday, security forces gunned down a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was involved in the killings of a policeman, civilians and others in Kashmir's Anantnag district. The security forces also arrested two LeT terrorist associates at Budgam in Jammu and Kashmir.

The killed terrorist was involved in a number of terror crimes including the killing of police inspector Mohammad Ashraf Bhat of Chandpora Kanelwan Anantnag, three workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in YK-Pora Kulgam, a BJP sarpanch and his wife at Lal Chowk in Anantnag.

He was also involved in an attack on District Development Council (DDC) candidate Anees ul Islam Ganie at Sagam Kokernag and in snatching weapons from a constable at Shamispora crossing in the Khudwani area of Kulgam.

In another operation, the Budgam Police, along with the army’s 50 Rashtriya Rifles and 181 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), arrested two terror associates linked with the proscribed terror outfit LeT from Chadoora area of Budgam district.

During preliminary investigation, it surfaced that arrested terrorist associates have been in touch with LeT commanders and were involved in providing logistics support to terrorists including providing shelter, transportation of arms and ammunition in the areas of Mochwa, Kralpora, Chattergam, Sathsoo, Nowgam, Chadoora and other areas of the district.