Security forces shot dead two lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) militants, one of them was a Divisional Commander, in a fierce gun-battle in north Kashmir’s Handwara pocket on Monday. Both slain militants were foreigners and a cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from their possession.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (north Kashmir range) Ghulam Hassan Bhat said that the police and Army had specific input about the presence of militants in Malikpora locality of Vilgam in Handwara district, which led to cordon of a residential house where the militants were hiding.
He said the holed up militants died in a gun-battle. Sources said that the residential house has been razed to cinders in the gunfight.
Defence spokesman lt Col Nahar Joshi identified the slain militants as Abu Hurrera and Abu Talah. “Abu Hurrera was the Divisional Commander and has earlier been involved in many terrorist related activities. Two AK 47 rifles, magazines and a large quantity of ammunition has been recovered from the site”, Joshi said.
Meanwhile, a soldier deployed in Wusan camp of 24 Rashtriya Rifles in Ganderbal district committed suicide by shooting himself twice with his service rifle. This is the third such incident in past two weeks. Earlier on February 27, a soldier shot dead his five colleagues before committing suicide in Manasbal Garrison, an army formation in Ganderbal district. A day after, a Junior Commissioned Officer of 2-RR also committed suicide in Soibugh pocket of central Kashnmir’s Budgam district.