A militant affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad was killed in a brief exchange of fire with the army at Badarpayeen area of Handwara late last night, officials said Thursday.
An official said the army’s32 Rashtriya Rifles laid a siege to Badarpayeen following “specificinformation” about movement of militants from Handwara to Baderpyaeen viaThokerpora.
“On seeing the army, themilitants lobbed a grenade and fired indiscriminately upon the army personnel.In retaliation, one militant was killed,” the official said, adding that somearms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site. Following theexchange of fire, forces cordoned off the area, installed lights and rushedmore reinforcements to the site to prevent militants from escaping, theofficial said. During the CASO, no one was allowed to move beyond Thokerpora,where forces had established a naka, he said. The police identified the slainmilitant as Anwar, a resident of Pakistan, and said he was affiliated with JeMand “active in northern Kashmir for a quite long time”. “Anwar was wanted inseries of crimes including attacks on security establishments and many othercivilian atrocities and several cases were also registered against him,” apolice official said.