Three HM militants killed during encounter in Srinagar

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said one of the militants was involved in the attack on BSF jawans last month in the valley that left two soldiers dead.

Meanwhile, a large number of security forces have also been deployed and several roads closed in Srinagar, where restrictions have been imposed in many downtown areas.

A police official told UNI that on a tip off about the presence of militants, troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police and CRPF cordoned off several areas, including Zoonimar and Zadibal, in the down town Srinagar since early Sunday morning.

After sealing all exit points, police through public address system made announcements directing militants to surrender.

However, when there was no response, security forces tightened cordon around particular houses in the area, he said, adding later people in the adjacent houses were asked to leave for other areas.

He said as security forces moved towards those houses, militants hiding there, fired at them with automatic weapons. “The security force retaliated ensuing in an encounter,” he said, adding all three trapped militants were killed.

Sources said two of the three slain militants have been identified as Shakoor Farooq Lango and Shahid Ahmad Bhat. “Lango was involved in the killing of two BSF personnel at 90ft road Soura in Srinagar on May 20,” they said, adding the snatched rifle belonging to the killed soldier was recovered from the site of encounter.

“Three militants were trapped in a house. We got to know of their identity though our sources and called their parents who appealed to them to surrender. We gave them over two-and-half-hour hours to surrender. But they did not relent,” Mr Kumar told reporters.

Meanwhile, to prevent any law and order problem, large number of security forces had been deployed in down town, uptown and civil lines since this morning. In number of areas security forces have closed roads with barbed wires.

To prevent rumours, authorities suspended mobile internet service of all Cellular companies, including Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) in Srinagar and parts of Pulwama district since early Sunday morning.