Srinagar, May 13: Two terrorists were gunned down by the security forces in Bandipora district of north Kashmir and police said that analysis reveals they were involved into the killing of Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit at Chadoora Budgam on Thursday.
The encounter broke out in the Aragam area of Bandipora on Friday afternoon. “#Encounter has started at Brar (Aragam), area of #Bandipora. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted soon after the encounter broke.Later police in another tweet said that two terrorists were gunned down and they were being tracked.Superintendent of Police, Police Component, Srinagar, Iftikar Talib told Greater Kashmir that that their analysis reveal that killed terrorists were involved into Chadoora killing.
“We were tracking this group for the past two weeks. A local terrorist of LeT, Latif Rather, had gone to receive them in Bandipora. An op was launched there on 11 May based on an input. terrorists were neutralized,” Iftkhar Talib said.“Latif Rather from Budgam brought them there. They were present at yesterday’s incident of civilian killing in Chadoora. They later went back to Bandipora,” he said. “Two of them were neutralised in the encounter. Latif Rather remains. We’re tracking & hope to neutralize him soon.”Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri pandit government employee was gunned down by terrorists in Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday and incident sparked off widespread condemnation.
Meanwhile a police press note said, “Police and Army (13RR) neutralised two recently infiltrated foreign terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT in an anti-terrorist operation at Brar Aragam area of Bandipora. The duo had escaped from recent anti-terrorist operation at Salender Forest area of Bandipora.
Police was tracking a local LeT terrorist namely Lateef Rather @ Osama who was involved in terror incidents in Srinagar and Budgam from last two months. A week ago movement of Lateef Rather was confirmed in Salindar area of Bandipora where he had gone to receive a fresh infiltrated group of terrorists of LeT outfit. The presence/ movement of these terrorists was zeroed and shared with the Bandipora police and accordingly an operation was launched on 11/5/22 resulting in elimination of a local terrorist identified as Gulzar Ahmed Ganaie of district Baramulla.”