Srinagar, Feb 01 (KNS): Two Jaish-e-Muhammad militants were killed in an encounter that raged between forces and militants in Drabgam area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Police said that one among the two slain militants had joined the militant ranks very recently but was active supporter of activities of JeM for a long time.
According to KNS correspondent, police said that a search operation was launched in Drabgam village in the intervening night of Thursday-Friday following the credible inputs about the presence of militants there.
Police said as the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. “The fire was retaliated, thus leading to a gunfight,” police said, adding that two militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
Police identified the slain militants as Shahid Mushtaq Baba, son of Mushtaq Ahmed Baba of Drabgam Pulwama and Inayat Abdullah Zigar, son of Mohammad Abdullah Zigar of Arihal Pulwama.
“Both the militants were affiliated with JeM and Baba was wanted by the law for his complicity in crimes,” police said, adding that as per police records, Shahid Baba was active in Shopian and Pulwama areas and had a long history of crime records for which several cases were registered against him.
“He was involved in conspiring and executing several attacks on security establishments in the area including grenade attacks,” police said, adding that another militant, Inayat was an active supporter of activities of JeM for a long time though he joined the outfit as active cadre very recently.
Police said that due to the efforts of security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the encounter. “Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other cases,” police said.
Meanwhile, police urged people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” police said.
Moreover, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of slain militants at their native villages of Drabgam and Arihal.
The slain were laid to rest after multiple funeral prayers at their native villages.
Notably, the mobile internet services in the district continued to remain suspended since Thursday mid-night. (KNS)