SRI NAGAR: Four local Lashkar-e-Toiba militants including two involved in the killing of a woman TV artist were killed in two separate gunfights in Kashmir on Friday, police said.
A police official said a search operation was launched at the Aganhanzipora area of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district last evening after receiving inputs about the presence of Lashkar militants there. He said during the search operation, militants fired on the troops. The fire was retaliated by the troops, triggering an encounter. In the ensuing firefight, two local Lashkar militants were killed.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar identified the slain militants as Shahid Mushtaq Bhat R/O Budgam and Farhan Habib R/O Pulwama.
“Both had joined militancy recently. They had killed the woman TV artist on the instruction of LeT Cmdr Lateef,” he said adding an AK 56 rifle, 4 magazines and a pistol was recovered from the encounter site
Militants on Wednesday evening shot dead a woman TV artist Amreen Bhat at her home at Hushroo, Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. Her 10-year old nephew was also injured in the militant firing.
Meanwhile, another encounter broke out between militants and security forces at Soura area of Srinagar. A police official said two LeT militants were killed in the encounter. The slain militants were identified as Shakir Ahmed Waza and Afreen Aftab Malik, both residents of Shopian. “They were 'C' categorized militants and incriminating materials including arms & ammunition were recovered from the encounter site,” the police official said.