Two militants killed in Kashmir gunbattle

A spokesperson for J&K Police said in a release that during the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, based on a police input, a cordon and search operation was launched in the area.

“During the search operation, the hiding terrorists fired on the joint search party. The fire was retaliated leading, to an encounter,” police said. In the encounter, two militants were killed, they added. “Two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter. The identification and affiliation of the killed terrorists is being ascertained,” the release said.

According to police, the slain militants were hiding inside a house.

A senior police officer told The Sunday Express that after the encounter was over, some people came forward and claimed that the slain militants were their sons.

“We allowed them to identify. If they identify, we will participate in burial at isolated place in north Kashmir,” the officer said.

On Saturday, video clips emerged of the security forces asking the militants, through an announcement during the operation, to surrender. A senior police officer in Kulgam said the militants did not comply, and were killed in the operation.

During Saturday’s operation, the security forces did not recover any heavy weapons from the militants. “The recoveries were only pistols and two grenades,” said a police officer.

This is the second encounter in Kulgam district this week. Two militants were killed in a gun battle between militants and joint forces in Kulgam district on Monday.