2 militants killed, 2 houses razed in Maloora

Srinagar: Two militants were killed and as many residential houses destroyed in nearly 9- hour long encounter in Maloora area in outskirts of Srinagar on Thursday.

Separately, militants escaped in Interbugh forest in Lolab area in Kupwara while army alleged ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Uri sector of Baramulla district.

A police officer told KMW that two militants were killed in an encounter with joint team of police and 2 Rashtriya Rifles in Zari Mohalla, Maloora in city outskirts.

He said that the encounter ensued after the joint team launched a cordon-and-search operation based wireless intercepts early this morning.

As the joint team was moving towards the target area, militants hiding in residential houses, opened fire, triggering off an encounter.

During the course of the fire fight, two militants have been killed while searches for third of Jish-e-Mohammad cadre were still on, he said.

“The charred bodies of two militants have been recovered,” the police officer said, identifying the slain, as per initial investigations, Yusuf Bhai and Mumtaz, both from Pakistan. The officer claimed that Yusuf Bhai was an IED expert and the duo was planning fidayeen attacks on forces establishments in and around Srinagar.

Meanwhile sources quoting witnesses said that the two residential houses were razed by alleged motor shells. The houses belong to Abdul Majeed Son of Ghulam Qadir Bhat and Abdul Hamid son of Mohammad Sultan. Four other houses suffered partial damage during the course of the gun fight. Two police were also injured due to bullets fired during the encounter and one of them included cop on security duty of Maulana Abass Hussain Ansari, the senior member in Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The policeman, Mohammad Ayoub has been hospitalized.

One more policeman, Abdul Jabbar, was also injured in the encounter and he too was hit by stray bullet near Parimpora, at quite a distance from the encounter site.

Meanwhile, sources said, militants escaped a cordon of 18 and 28 RR at Inderbugh area in northern Kupwara’s Lolab forests after a brief gun fight.

In between these incidents, army’s defence ministry based spokesman here, Lt Col JS Brar said that Pakistan army violated ceasefire along the LoC in Uri sector, in the Baramulla district. “There has been intermitted firing from Falan post (in Pak) towards Nita Post in Uri. The army too retaliated the fire,” he said.