Security forces on Wednesday killed four suspected militants in two separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian and Kulgam districts. The police claimed the militants were involved in the recent killing of migrant labourers in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the militants was commander of The Resistance Front, which is believed to be a Lashkar-e-Taiba offshoot. Another was a commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, the police said.
In Shopian, security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the area after receiving information about the presence of militants there, PTI reported, citing a police official.
The operation turned into a gunfight after militants fired at the security forces, the official said.
Vijay Kumar, the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, said that one of the militants who have been killed has been identified as Adil Wani.’
One soldier died and two others sustained injuries in the Shopian operation.
Wani had been an active militant since July 2020, and was the Shopian district commander of The Resistance Front, the police said.
He was allegedly involved in the recent killing of Sageer Ahmad Ansari, a carpenter from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
In Kulgam, Kumar said that the police have killed Gulzar Ahmad Reshi, the district commnader of Lashkar-e-Taiba, and another unidentified militant. The police claimed that they were involved in the killing of two migrant labourers from Bihar on Sunday.
The deceased labourers were identified as Raja Reshi Dev and Joginder Reshi Dev
On Wednesday, a defence spokesperson said that a joint operation of security forces was launched in the evening after they received information about the two militants.
“The area was cordoned off and contact established at about 07.40 pm,” the spokesperson said. “Repeated surrender appeals were turned down by terrorists.”
He claimed the militants opened fire at the security forces and they retaliated. One rifle and other material were recovered from the slain militants.
Three security force personnel also sustained injuries in the gunfight.
So far, 12 civilians have been killed in Kashmir in the past two weeks. The Resistance Front has claimed responsibility for most of the civilian deaths.
Kumar added on Wednesday that security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have killed 15 militants in the past two weeks.
On October 11, two suspected militants were killed and a police officer was injured in gunfights in the Bandipora and Anantnag districts.
On October 13, the police said that Jaish-e-Mohammed commander Sham Sofi was killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Pulwama district.
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