Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, including one who was part of Saturday’s Pampore attack, were killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.
A gunfight erupted at a village in Newa area of Pulwama in the morning when security forces spotted the militants hiding in a house.
“As the Army commenced search of the house, the militants fired at them. Immediately, the security forces cordoned off the house. At about 10 a.m., the two, while trying to escape, were gunned down by the security forces,” said Srinagar-based defence spokesman Colonel N.N. Joshi.
Two policemen were injured in the operation.
One of the militants killed was a local resident, identified as Manzoor Ahmad. An AK-47 rifle and a Chinese pistol were recovered from the militants.
“The foreign militant killed in Thursday’s encounter was part of the Pampore attack,” Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Mohammad Rayees Bhat, said.
The killings sparked protests from the locals. Even during the operation, youth assembled in nearby areas and hurled stones at the search party. Security forces fired smoke shells to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, in Lolab area of Kupwara district, hundreds of locals tried to torch the house of a local resident, who, according to protesters, was working for the Army. The police intervened and dispersed the crowd.
