Two suspected militants were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Sunday.

In a statement, the Indian Army said that the militants were offered a chance to surrender but they opened fire. The Army retaliated, killing the two militants, the statement added.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police claimed that one of the militant had shot dead Bharatiya Janata Party leader Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmad and brother Umer Bashir in Bandipora in July.

The militants killed on Sunday have been identified as Azad Shah and Abid Haqqani, according to Global News Service, a news agency based in Jammu and Kashmir.

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Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh Singh told the news agency that Haqqani was the district commander of the terror group Lashker-e-Taiba, while Shah was involved in Bari’s killing.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said the killing of Bari, his father and brother were avenged, PTI reported. “We salute the security forces for the success and I am sure that the valley would be cleared of the remaining terrorists and those conspiring against the nation,” he added. “They will also meet the same fate.”

Bari, the BJP’s district president, was attacked when he was sitting outside his shop at night. Singh had earlier said that the police officers deployed for his security were not present during the attack.

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The police had suspended 11 personal security officers of Bari.

Several BJP leaders have been targets of militant attacks in the Union Territory. On August 17, BJP worker Javeed Ahmad Dar was shot dead by suspected militants in Kulgam district. On August 9, a sarpanch associated with the BJP, Ghulam Rasool Dar, and his wife were killed by suspected militants in Anantnag district.

Two BJP councillors were killed in the Sopore area of Baramulla district in March and one from Tral in Pulwama district was shot dead on June 2.