Kashmir Encounter: 3 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists in Shopian

Two different encounters took place on the same night in the Kashmir Valley. So far, the security forces have killed three LeT militants in the ongoing encounter in Shopian, while operations are still on in Birwah area of Budgam.

The encounter that started late Thursday night in Badigam, Shopian, south Kashmir, ended on Friday morning with the killing of three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants. At present, the security forces have conducted a search operation on the basis of the possibility of hiding some more terrorists around the encounter site. Meanwhile, the SPO of Jammu and Kashmir Police was martyred while another policeman was injured in another encounter in Janigam Birwah in Budgam district.

This is the second encounter between security forces and terrorists in Shopian Badigam in the last two years. Earlier on May 5, 2018, security forces in Badigam killed five militants, including Saddam Padar, the notorious Hizbul Mujahideen militant, in a fierce encounter. One of them was Assistant Professor of the University of Kashmir, Rafi Ahmed Butt. He was killed a day after he became active in the terrorist organization.

Information received from Shopian states that after the sunset on the evening of Thursday, the police came to know from its system that a team of automatic armed militants have been seen in Badigam. At the same time, the police, along with 44 Army and CRPF personnel of the army, started a search operation in Badigam. Around 11.15 pm when the security forces were moving in the village, the terrorists hiding in a house suddenly started firing on them. The soldiers fired back, protecting themselves. After this the encounter started there. Jawanane responded to the firing of the terrorists and took about a dozen people from nearby houses to safe places. The terrorists closed all the routes of escape and surrounded their hideout from all around.

Security forces escorted the people trapped in other houses located around their hideout amid a barrage of terrorists. The terrorists were asked to surrender several times, but they continued firing intermittently. The concerned officials said that the firing intensified around 4 am today. About seven o'clock in the morning, the last shot from the terrorists. After this, when the security forces searched the site of the encounter, they found the bodies of three terrorists riddled with bullets there. The terrorist hideout was also completely destroyed.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that three Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists have been confirmed dead in Badigam Shopian. He said two assault rifles and a pistol were found from the encounter site. Some objectionable documents have also been found. Currently, the identity of the three terrorists is being ascertained.

Meanwhile, another encounter between the security forces and the terrorists started around 2:30 AM today at Janigaam in district Budgam, adjacent to Srinagar. In this, SPO Altaf Ahmed Shaheed and another policeman Manzoor Ahmed were injured. The injured policeman has been admitted to the Army's 92 Base Hospital for treatment. The concerned police officials said that the terrorists have been surrounded. Soon they will be caught or killed. The encounter continues, other details are awaited.