Two Pakistani militants were killed and their associate hailing from Kashmir arrested during an encounter between militants and security forces in Poshana village along Mughal Road in Poonch district on Sunday, police said.
The encounter broke out on Sunday afternoon during a Cordon and Search Operation launched jointly by army, police and CRPF.
Officials said that on Thursday an incident of alleged kidnapping of a local man from Bufliyaz by three armed men came to fore after which inputs were received by security forces regarding presence of a few suspects in the villages along Mughal Road.
“Working on this information and while investigating the incident of alleged kidnapping of a local man, security forces launched a Cordon and Search Operation on Saturday morning,” the officials said.
They added that villages including Chatta Pani, Poshan, Dugran along Mughal Road were put under CASO and on Sunday morning, militants hiding in a dhok were traced.
“The militants hiding inside the dhok were asked to surrender but they refused and resorted to firing on security forces, which was retaliated. It led to an encounter that lasted for several hours in the area which is under two to three feet of snow,” a police official said.
He said that during the encounter, two Pakistani militants were killed whereas a militant associate, hailing from Kashmir valley, has been arrested.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Mukesh Singh said that the two militants killed in the encounter were affiliated with Lashkar e Toiba.
“The two have been identified as Sajid and Bilal,” the IGP said.
He further informed that two AK47 rifles, one UBGL and one Thuraya satphone were recovered from the militants.