SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Handwara area of border district of Kupwara Jammu and Kashmir on Monday.
A police official said militants fired on a security check post of at Zachaldara area of Handwara in Kupwara district this evening.
He said the fire was returned by the security personnel and in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed.
The official said bodies of two militants have been recovered and their identification was being ascertained.
He said the police, CRPF and army men have launched search operation in the area to nab the possible accomplices of the slain militants.
Troops conduct CASOs
Earlier, in the day security forces had launched combing and search operations in Hajin village of Bandipora district and Rangwar Lalpora area of Handwara district, both in north Kashmir, after receiving information about presence of militants there.
A police official said entry and exist points at both the places were sealed and security personnel conducted house to house searches to nab the militants hiding there.
He said the search operation continued for over three hours. After no contact was established with the militants, the search operations at both the places were called off.
Police sources said Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Mehmood Bhai and his men are active in Hajin area of Bandipora districts.
“Many cordon and search operations have been conducted in Hajin area to trap him but he has managed to give slip to security forces so far,” they said.
Police had blamed Mehmood Bhai and his men for killing of off duty BSF constable Rameez Ahmad Parray at his home in Hajin area in September this year.
The BSF man was on leave at his home and killed in gun and knife attack of militants on September 28.
Four of his family members including father, two brothers and an aunt were also injured in the attack.
Congress worker tortured
A video of a Congress worker hailing from south Kashmir’s Shopian district and being tortured by militants has gone viral on social media.
The Congress worker identified as Gulzar Ahmad is being held at a gunpoint by militants in the video and they tell him that they have taken to violence to end the “brutalities” in Kashmir. They caution him against acting as an “informer” of police and working for mainstream parties.
The militants kick Gulzar, who is half naked, and force him to take a “pledge” that he would not work with the mainstream parties in future.