Three more terrorists of banned Lashkar-e-Tayyeba (LeT) outfit were killed in a prolonged gun-battle in Sumlar forests of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Friday taking the toll of terrorists to five. Two terrorists were killed in the initial phase of the encounter on Thursday.
A defence spokesman said that weapons and war-like stores were recovered from the encounter site. The encounter was in progress when last reports came in from the area.
The encounter began on Thursday when a joint team of Army, CRPF and Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K Police launched a massive operation in the Shokhbaba, Sumlar area of Bandipora. Security sources said that the operation was temporarily suspended through the night in view of darkness after killing of two terrorists in the initial phase.
However, the multi layered cordon remained intact and the search operation was resumed on Friday. They said that during the intense search operation the contact with the hiding terrorists was re-established triggering fresh gunfight. During the ensuing encounter, three more terrorists were killed.
Security sources said that the slain are suspected to be LeT cadre.
Meanwhile, normal life was affected in Capital Srinagar as the authorities disallowed Ashura processions in the main city. The authorities imposed restrictions in the jurisdiction of five police stations in old Srinagar. The Friday congregational prayers were not allowed in Grand Mosque of Srinagar even as the authorities kept senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under detention at his residence.