In the first such encounter in south Kashmir post August 5, authorities said a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Kaiwan village of Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
A senior police officer said that acting on a specific tip-off, joint teams of police and army laid a siege at Kaiwan village in Awantipora on Tuesday.
“When the house was zeroed in where militants were hiding, the forces’ party resorted to heavy firing on the security forces triggering off a fierce encounter. In the ensuing encounter, a militant was killed in the initial assault.”
He said that the search operation was on in the area to ensure presence of no other militant in the area or the house.
According to a tweet by the Kashmir Zone police, the slain militants were identified as a locals namely Ufaid Lone alias Abu Muslim and Abbas Bhat.
"He was affiliated with the Lashkar outfit,” the tweet read. Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the slain militant. In yet another tweet by Awantipore police, “One more militant was killed. He has been identified as Abbas Bhat of Kaiwan, Awantipore whereas arms, ammunition recovered.”
Meanwhile, thousands of people started marching towards the residences of slain militants to participate in their funeral. However, till 6 pm, the bodies were not handed to family members.
Meanwhile a J&K Police spokesperson said that on a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched in Kawni and Brawbhandina area of Police District Awantipora today.
“During the search operation, the hiding terrorist fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and the body was retrieved from the site of encounter. The killed terrorist has been identified as Ufaid Farooq Lone @Abu Muslim resident of Awantipora,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The killed terrorist as per police records was affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT and was wanted by law for his complicity in terror crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” the statement said.
“According to the police records, Ufaid Farooq Lone had a history of terror crime records since 2018 and was involved in planning and executing several terror attacks and civilian atrocities in the area. As per the police records, he had been carrying out terrorist activities in the areas of Awantipora across the belts of river Jehlum in the areas of Reshipora and in the nearby areas of Malanpora,” the statement said.
“Several terror crime cases were registered against him including Case FIR No. 38/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on security forces, Case FIR No. 54/2019 pertaining to grenade attack on police station Awantipora, Case FIR No. 122/2019 pertaining to civilian atrocities, threatening, intimidation and beating of locals at Padagampora besides enforcing shutdown of business establishments and forcible suspension of transport facilities in the area,” the statement added.
“He was also responsible for motivating the locals from the areas of Brawbhandina to join the terror fold recently thereby strengthening the terror networks in the area. Incriminating material including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes. Searches in the area continue,” it said.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” it added.