Ahead of the beginning of the Amarnath yatra from June 30, the security forces have further intensified their anti- terrorist operations across Kashmir valley to flush out foreign and local terrorists from their safe hideouts.
On Sunday, a joint team of security forces gunned down four more terrorists including a Pakistani in two separate encounters in North and South Kashmir districts of Kupwara and Kulgam respectively.
So far around 115 terrorists have been eliminated in sustained anti-terrorist operations since January 1, 2022.
To ensure peaceful conduct of the yatra additional companies of the para military forces have been rushed to the Kashmir valley to plug the gaps in the three tier security ring in and around base camps, shelter points, community centres, yatra trek etc.
Tensions prevailed as the region also witnessed a spike in targeted killings of minority population and off duty security personnel. Despite this the traffic footfall this season touched new records.
Around two dozen incidents of targeted killings have been reported across different districts of Kashmir in which 23 personnel including Kashmiri pandit migrant employee,a bank manager from Rajasthan, non-local labourers, a scheduled caste lady teacher from Jammu, a famous TV from artist from Budgam and policemen were killed in cold blood by 'hybrid' terrorists.
According to Vijay Kumar, Inspector General of Police (Kashmir),“A Pakistani terrorist affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba has been killed. Two to three terrorists along with arrested terrorist are trapped in an ongoing encounter in Kupwara border district of North Kashmir.”
The identity of the second slain terrorist was yet to be ascertained. According to a police spokesman, the operation was launched in the area on the basis of inputs shared by an arrested terrorist Showket Ahmed Sheikh in Lolab area of Kupwara. “During search of hideouts, hiding terrorists fired upon joint search parties. In response the security forces also retaliated. Initially, one terrorist got killed. The arrested terrorist also got trapped. In a separate tweet, Kashmir Zone police said, "Another terrorist was eliminated while heavy firing was going on in the area". In a separate encounter in DH Pora area of Kulgam, two terrorists one each belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e- Mohammad terrorist outfit were gunned down on Sunday. Police has identified both the slain terrorists as Haris Sharief of Srinagar (LeT ) & Zakir Padder of Kulgam (JeM). They were both categorised as 'C' category terrorists, police spokesman added.