Srinagar: The encounter in Kulgam district in south Kashmir, which started on Sunday evening, ended on Monday morning with the killing of two local Al-Badr militants, police said. The slain militants were identified as Imad Muzaffer Wani , resident of Arigam Pulwama and Abdul Rashid Thoker, a resident of Hassanpora Kulgam.
The encounter broke out in Hassanpora area of Kulgam after Police, 1 Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve Police Force cordon off the area on the tip-off about the presence of militants in the area.
“Encounter has started in Hasanpora area of Kulgam. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow,” Kashmir Zone Police Tweeted on Sunday evening.
Officials said that as the presence of militants was ascertained, they were given ample opportunity to surrender. However, they said hiding militants opened. Police said the firing was retaliated triggering an encounter. The operation was suspended during the night because of darkness and was resumed with the first light on Monday morning.
“KulgamEncounterUpdate: 2 unidentified terrorists killed. Identification and affiliation being ascertained. Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police, Tweeted on Monday morning.
Later in another Tweet, police quoting Inspector General of Police, Kashmir zone, Vijay Kumar saying that Imad Wani was involved in an attack on a policeman.
“Kulgam Anantnag EncounterUpdate: One of killed terrorist identified as Imad Wani, a categorised terrorist of Al- Badr. He was involved in the attack on police personnel Mushtaq Waggay in Pulwama on 19/12/21, in which he got seriously injured. IGP Kashmir @JmuKmrPolice,” police said in another Tweet.
Police said: “Based on a specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding the presence of terrorists in village Hasanpora situated on the border between Kulgam and Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched yesterday evening by Police and 1stRR in the said area,” police 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,” police said.
In the ensuing encounter, police said: “Two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter. They have been identified as Imad Muzaffar Wani resident of Arigam Pulwama and Abdul Rashid Thoker resident of Hassanpora,” police said.
“Both the killed terrorists were categorised terrorists. They 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 the attack on police personnel Mushtaq Ahmad Wagay of Pulwama on 19-12-2021, in which the said police personnel got seriously injured,” police said. “While as, killed terrorist Abdul Rashid Thoker, before joining terrorist ranks was working as a terrorist associate and was also involved in the attack on a civilian at Chitragam in which said civilian got injured.”
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter police said adding that all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.
Regarding the incident, police said a case under relevant sections of law has been registered in PS Bijbehara, Anantnag and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any, they added.