5 terrorists, including TRF commander, killed in 2 encounters in J&K

Kashmir: In south Kashmir's Kulgam district, a joint security force consisting of personnel from the Indian Army and the local police on Wednesday gunned down five terrorists in two separate armed encounters. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the terrorists were killed in the Pombay and Gopalpora areas of the Kulgam district in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

In the Gopalpora encounter, a commander of the militant outfit ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRF), Afaq Sikander alias Kashif Bhai, was killed. Sikandar was the divisional commander of the outfit, active since December last year. The second terrorist who was killed in the encounter was identified as one Iran Mushraq Lone of the same outfit, a resident of the Shadcheck Aweneera area in Shopian, and active in terrorism since June this year.

In the Pombay encounter, two of the slain terrorists have been identified as Shakir Najar, active since April 2018, and Sumair Najar, active since May this year.

Gunfight had broken out earlier in the day between terrorists and security forces at Pombay and Goplapora in the Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, police said. Security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in two areas of the district after receiving information about the presence of militants there, said an official familiar with the development.

The search operations turned into encounters after militants fired upon the security forces and they who retaliated, the official added.

In a separate operation, the Pulwama Police apprehended two active terrorist associates of the proscribed terrorist outfit, Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), namely Amir Bashir Dar and Mukhtar Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Shopian. Two ready-to-use IEDs were also recovered from their possession.