SRINAGAR: A local militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed and a teenage girl injured in a gunfight in central Kashmir’s Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday.
A police official said J&K police’s Special Operations Group, paramilitary CRPF and Army’s Rashtria Rifles personnel launched a combing and search operation in Khan Mohalla, Arizal in Budgam district last evening after receiving specific inputs about presence of militants there.
He said while the security personnel were conducting house to house searches, they came under fire from militants.
“The militants fired indiscriminately on the search party after coming out of a house. The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter,” he said.
The official said in the ensuing gunfight, a militant of Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed and a girl injured.
He said the girl identified as 18-year-old Humaria daughter of Mohammad Maqbool Khan sustained bullet injuries in thigh.
She was evacuated to a hospital in Srinagar, where she is undergoing treatment.
The deceased militant was identified as Shafat Hussain Wani alias Abu Qasim R/o Wagoora, Baramulla in north Kashmir.
Police said an assault rifle, ammunition, mobile phones and cash worth Rs 30000 were recovered from possession of the slain militnat
Police sources said Shafat had joined militancy in April 2017.
“He was working as a teacher in a private school before joining the LeT last year,” they said.
The slain militant is survived by two brothers and elderly mother. One of his brother is a practicing lawyer.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral prayers of slain militant at his native place at Wagoora in North Kashmir's Baramulla district this afternoon amidst chanting of pro-Pakistan, pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
The police and paramilitary personnel had blocked all main roads leading to Wagoora to maintain law and order and foil protests and snapped mobile internet service in the area.
Earlier, yesterday security forces had killed two Pakistani militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad in an encounter in Dooru area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
There has been a surge in encounters between militants and security forces in the Valley.