Srinagar Jan 10: Police on Monday claimed to have killed two militants affiliated with the Al-Badr outfit in a gunfight in Hasanpora area located on the border between Kulgam and Anantnag districts in south Kashmir.
“Based on a specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding presence of terrorists in village Hasanpora situated on border between Kulgam and Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched yesterday evening by Police and 1stRR in the said area,” a police spokesman said.
“During the search operation, as the joint search party proceeded towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter, ” he added while identifying the slain duo as Imad Muzaffar Wani resident of Arigam Pulwama and Abdul Rashid Thoker resident of Hassanpora.
Police further said the two “were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on security forces and civilian atrocities”. “Besides, terrorist Imad Wani was involved in attack on police personnel Mushtaq Ahmad Wagay of Pulwama on 19-12-2021, in which the said police personnel got seriously injured. While as, killed terrorist Abdul Rashid Thoker, before joining terrorist ranks was working as terrorist associate and was also involved in attack on a civilian at Chitragam in which said civilian got injured”.
It said “incriminating” materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter, which have been taken into case records for further investigation.
A case under relevant sections of law has been registered in PS Bijbehara, Anantnag and investigation has been initiated, added police.
The encounter broke out on Sunday afternoon shortly after security forces cordoned off the area following inputs about the presence of militants there.