SRINAGAR: Two Garud commandos of Indian Air Force (IAF) and two militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in a fierce gunfight in Hajin area of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said after receiving specific information about presence of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, a joint operation was launched by police, army and CRPF in Pribal Salamabad area in Hajin in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district early this morning.
The highly trained Garud commandos of IAF also accompanied the army unit during the anti-militancy operation, defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Rajesh Kalia said.
It was for the first time that IAF commandos had been part of any anti-militancy operation in the Valley.
Kalia said the Garud commandos participated in the operation for the operational experience and training.
Sources said as the soldiers were laying siege in the area early this morning, Lashkar militants hiding inside opened heavy volume of fire on the troops.
“Two Garud commandos and an army man were injured in the militant firing. The injured were evacuated to army hospital, where both the Garud commandos were declared brought dead,” they said.
The deceased IAF Garud commandos were identified as Sergeant K Milind Kishor and Corporal Neelesh Kumar Nayan.
It was the first casualty suffered by IAF during counter militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sergeant Kishor, 33, had joined IAF in 2002 and hailed from Sakri town in Nashik, Maharashtra while Corporal Nilesh Kumar Nayan, 31 hailed from Village Udhadih of Bhagalpur district in Bihar. He had joined IAF in 2005.
“After the militant firing, the security personnel took defensive positions and returned the fire. The security personnel launched an all out assault on the militants and in the ensuing over two hour long heavy gunfight, two Lashkar militants were killed,” a police officer said.
The slain militants were identified as Ali Bhai alias Abu Maaz alias Abu Bakar, a Pakistani national, and Nasrullah Mir, a local.
Two AK riles, a pistol, 19 pistol rounds, a grenade, two pouches and other ammunition was recovered from the encounter site.
A police spokesman said both militants were involved in a number of militant attacks on security forces and civilians.
He said the militants were also responsible for killing of off-duty BSF jawan Mohammad Ramzan at Hajin recently.
The militants had stormed Parray’s residence at Hajin area of Bandipora on September 28. The BSF jawan had resisted them and snatched weapon of a militant but other militants attacked him and his family members with knives and fired from AK-47 rifle towards Parray, causing his on-spot death.
Parray, who was posted in Singhpora area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was on 37 days leave from August 26.
Four family members of Parray including his father, two brothers and aunt were injured in the militant attack.
Meanwhile, in a solemn wreath-laying ceremony at Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen JS Sandhu and Air Cdre V S Choudhary, AOC 1 Wing AF and other security officials paid homage to the slain Garud commandos.