Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir killed two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in an overnight gunfight in the Kanjiular area of Shopian district, the police said on Wednesday.
Inspector-General of Police Vijay Kumar said that the militants were identified as Jan Mohammad Lone and Tufail Ganai.
Lone was involved in the killing of a bank manager, Vijay Kumar, in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on June 2, he added.
Kumar, a resident of Rajasthan’s Hanumangarh city, was shot inside the premises of the Ellaquai Dehati Bank. He had succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital. The incident was recorded on CCTV.
Since January, at least 19 targeted killings, including those of police officials, teachers and village heads, have been reported in Kashmir. Out of these, 13 were civilians – six were Hindus and seven were Kashmiri Muslims. Many of them were shot point-blank in their homes or workplaces.
On Monday, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that 100 militants have been killed this year. Of these, 29 militants were foreigners.
“50 terrorists [49 local and 01 foreign] were killed last year in 2021 in the same duration,” the police had said. “Maximum losses to Lashkar-e-Taiba [63] and Jaish-e-Mohammed [24] terror outfits.”
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