Four militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday, police said. The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Pinjora area of the district in South Kashmir on Monday morning. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.
Speaking on the encounter, Jammu and Kashmir DGP, Dilbag Singh said that in the last two weeks, nine big operations were carried out in which 22 terrorists have been eliminated including six top commanders.
On the number of terrorists at launchpads along the Line of Control (LoC), Singh said that there is an assessment that the number could be around 150-250 for Kashmir region and 125-150 for Jammu region.
The operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists opened fired on personnel of a search party, who retaliated. In the exchange of fire, four miitants were killed, the police said in a tweet. Two security personnel were also injured in the gun fight.
This is the second encounter in Shopian in the last 24 hours where nine militants have been killed in the two operations. Five Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a self-styled commander, were killed in a gun battle with security forces in the district’s Reban area on Sunday.
Among those killed is said to be a top dreaded terrorist of the HM but identity of the killed terrorists is being established.
Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Army, CRPF and J&K Police cordoned the area and launched a search for the terrorists in the village following credible intelligence inputs about the presence of these terrorists received by the police.
The terrorists indiscriminately fired at the security forces that zeroed in around the place they were hiding.
The authorities snapped internet service in the district as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of rumours and assembly of stone-pelters in the area.