Srinagar, July 8: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar Thursday said that the two militants killed in a brief encounter in Zodar area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam belonged to Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit and they were planning a “big strike” on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
As per police, the duo was killed in a joint operation of Kulgam police and 01 RR in the wee hours of Thursday.
Two more militants were killed in another gunfight that broke out earlier in Puchal area of neighbouring Pulwama district.
A top Hizb commander from Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district was also killed in another encounter with security forces in Handwara area of frontier district Kupwara on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, police said.
News agency KNO quoting IGP Kashmir, reported that all four militants killed in the twin south Kashmir gunfights were affiliated with LeT outfit and all four were locals.
The two slain militants in Kulgam area were were “planning a big strike on the national highway, ” the IGP said.
“The encounter took place “in an area close to the highway and they were planning an attack on the national highway,” he said.