Security forces shot dead two lashkar-e-Tayyeba (leT) militants in a 19-hour-long gun battle in Ratnipora-lajura belt of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday. With the spurt in militant activities, including infiltration and ceasefire violations from Pakistan, the security forces have killed 48 militants in Kashmir Valley this year.
The gun battle began at Ratnipora at 7:45 pm on Monday when a joint party of Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF and police cordoned off the area following a tip-off about the presence of militants there. After the initial firing, the terrorists managed to escape, but security forces kept the area on lock down, sealing off all entry and exit routes.
The exchange of fire resumed on Tuesday morning and gunfire was heard coming from paddy fields between Ratnipora and lajura villages. Security forces used helicopters to track down the ultras and the cordon was tightened around them. The two terrorists were killed in the operation that lasted till 2:45 pm. One policeman was critically injured during the operation.
Hundreds of residents protested against the encounter as paddy fields and orchards were damaged in the cross-fire. The protests hampered the flush-out operation.
The slain militants have been identified as Showkat Ahmed lone and Shaheen Gulzar, both residents of the area. “Shaheen had joined leT a year ago while Showkat was his senior by six months in the outfit. Showkat was involved in multiple militancy-related activities including a daring attack on an Army convoy at Nowgam bypass in Srinagar,” police sources said.
Meanwhile, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar-based XV Corps lieutenant-General Subrata Saha said that the spurt in militant activities was not unusual “It is nothing unusual. The operations continue, but there are periods when the movement (of militants) increases. When that happens, the intensity of our operations increases naturally,” Saha said on the sidelines of a function here.
Saha admitted that over the last two years there has been a spurt in the number of youths taking to militancy. “The number (of local youth joining rank of militants) is little over 40, the same as last year. But it is definitely more than what was in 2013 and 2012,” he said adding this increase in the number is cause for concern for all security agencies.
The Corps Commander said infiltration attempts have also intensified as 19 militants were killed in nearly a dozen bids along the line of Control (loC) in North Kashmir this year. “This year, the snow got delayed. Since then, there have been 11 infiltration attempts. To that extent, there is an increase in the intensity and in these attempts, 19 infiltrators were eliminated,” he said.
Commenting on the media reports that leT was planning to hijack a civilian aircraft to seek the release of its jailed members, lt-Gen Saha said the Army was prepared to meet any challenge. “We are prepared to face any challenge that comes up,” he said.