Four terrorists neutralised in J-K’s Kupwara, search operations underway

Kupwara: Two more terrorists were neutralised in an encounter that broke out in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, informed the police on Monday.

So far, four terrorists have been killed in the Kupwara encounter including two on Sunday. The neutralised terrorist was linked with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Police also recovered incriminating materials, arms and ammunition from the spot during the encounter.

“Two more terrorists including terrorist Showkat got neutralised (total 04). Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

Kupwara Police launched a joint anti-terrorist operation alongwith the Army’s 28RR on the disclosure of an arrested terrorist Showket Ahmed Sheikh.

“The terrorist killed in Kupwara has been identified as a Pakistani, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT. 2-3 more terrorists alongwith arrested terrorists trapped in the ongoing encounter,” Kashmir Zone Police further said in a tweet.

“The terrorists were neutralised during a search of hideouts when the hiding terrorists fired upon joint search parties and our team also retaliated, in which one terrorist got killed. The arrested terrorist also got trapped. Encounter in progress. Further details shall follow,” said IGP Kashmir, Vijay Kumar.

More details are awaited.

Security forces are on alert as there have been incidents of targeted killings in Kashmir and sections of the minority community had threatened that they were preparing for mass migration if the government did not relocate them.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who was on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, had urged the people not to allow inimical forces to break the social fabric and noted that the electoral process is likely to begin in the coming months.

Rajnath Singh also made a veiled reference to Pakistan and said some forces were trying to sow seeds of hatred in the Union Territory.

He said there is a foreign conspiracy in the recent targeted killings in Jammu and Kashmir and such attempts would be foiled.

He was addressing an event held here today to mark the 200th anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh’s ‘Rajyaabhishek ceremony’.

“I appeal to the people here that the social fabric of Jammu and Kashmir should never break rising above religion, caste. There are some forces here which have always tried to break this social fabric and promoted the radicals. Recently, attempts were made again to ignite hatred in J-K,” he said.