Srinagar: Two militants from Srinagar’s Natipora, who had picked up arms together back in December last year, were killed in an encounter in Danmar area of the city Friday morning.
Briefing about the encounter in an official statement, a J&K police spokesperson said that “acting on a specific information generated by Srinagar Police about presence of terrorists in Alamdar Colony Danmar area, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police and CRPF.”
The militants, the statement added, were given “repeated opportunities” to surrender after their presence was ascertained by the security forces.
“The terrorists, however, fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter in the wee hours,” it said.
“In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT (self-claimed TRF) were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Irfan Ahmad Sofi son of Nazir Ahmad Sofi and Bilal Ahmad Bhat son of Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, both residents of Natipora, Srinagar and active since Dec-2020,” the statement added.
“Recently the self-claimed terrorist outfit TRF shared on social media that terrorists Irfan & Bilal had left TRF and joined ISJK,” it said.
The two slain militants, as per police records, were part of groups involved in several “terror crimes cases including attacks on Police/SFs and civilian atrocities”.
“Both the killed terrorists executed a series of attacks on policemen, SFs and civilians which include killing of PSO of PDP leader at Natipora on 14/12/2020, attack on ROP of CRPF 73BN in Lawaypora resulting in martyrdom of 02 CRPF Jawans on 25/03/2021,” the statement added.
“Moreover, on 17/06/2021 they attacked & martyred an on-leave police official Ct Javid Ahmad near his residence at Saidpora and on 22/06/2021 attacked & martyred Inspector Parvez Ahmad at Menganwari Nowgam while he was on his way to offer prayers in local Masjid. They were also involved in killing of a civilian Umer Nazir Bhat at his shop in Main Chowk Habba Kadal on 23/06/2021,” the police statement read.
It added that the two were “also involved in a series of grenade attacks as well as petrol bomb attacks on Police/SF in City Srinagar”.
“On 07/05/2021, they carried out a grenade attack on joint party of Police/CRPF at Nawabazar area of Srinagar in which five CRPF jawans & a civilian got injured. On 26/06/2021, they carried out another grenade attack on joint party of Police/CRPF at Barbarshah in which 01 civilian got killed and 03 civilians got critically injured. They also carried out grenade attack on PP Urdu Bazar on 05/03/2021 and petrol bomb attack on bunker of SSB at Mehjoor Nagar Band on 26/04/2021,” the statement read.
Police said that the slain “terrorists have been instrumental in motivating and recruiting the youth to join terror folds in Srinagar and its adjoining areas”.
Incriminating materials arms and ammunition including 01 AK-47 rifle, 01 pistol and 04 grenades were recovered from the site of encounter.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” the statement added.
IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, as per it, congratulated the joint forces of Police and CRPF for the “big success that led to the elimination of two most wanted terrorists who were wanted by the law for their involvement in several terror crime cases”.
“In this connection, police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” it added.
The IGP said that during the year 2021, so far 78 militants had been killed in Kashmir valley.
“Most of the terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT i.e,39 out of 78, followed by HM, Al-Badr, JeM & AuGH,” he said.
