Srinagar, May 27 (UNI) Security forces shot dead four militants of Lashkar-e-Taiba, including those allegedly involved in the murder of a female television artist, in two separate gunfights in Kashmir, police said here on Friday.
The militants were killed in two separate gunfights at Awantipora and Srinagar.
Inspector General of Police said they solved the heinous murder of TV artist Ambreen Bhat in 24 hours by killing two local militants at Aganhanzipora Awantipora.
The slain were newly recruited and were identified as Shahid Mushtaq Bhat of Hafroo in Chadoora of Budgam and Farhan Habib of Hakripora in Pulwama.
“They had killed the TV artist on the instruction of LeT Cmdr (commander) Lateef,” IGP Kumar said.
On Wednesday evening, 35-year-old Amreen Bhat was shot dead by militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgam district. Her 10-year-old nephew was also injured in the attack.
The two militants were killed at Aganhanzipora Awantipora in a gunfight that erupted late Thursday when joint teams launched a cordon and a search operation on a specific input generated by Police.
“During the operation, as the joint search party was laying cordon around a cluster of houses, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two local terrorists linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed,” a police spokesman said.
In a separate encounter, two militants of LeT were killed in Srinagar in the wee hours.
Police said the two were killed during an anti militancy operation in Soura which was launched following an input about “movement of terrorists from South Kashmir to Srinagar.”
“A special and small team of Srinagar Police launched a cordon and search operation in the said area. During the search the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed,” the spokesman said.
The two were identified as Shakir Ahmad Waza and Afreen Aftab Malik both residents of Trenz Shopian.
“Arms and ammunition including AK-47, pistol, live rounds and grenades have been recovered from the encounter site,” police said.
IGP Kumar said 10 militants including three from Jaish-e-Mohammad and seven from LeT were killed in three days in Kashmir valley.
Meanwhile, a “hybrid” militant of LeT was arrested in Srinagar, police said on Friday.
‘Hybrid’ militants are those who are not listed with the security agencies but carry out attacks and then slip back into routine life.
The latest arrest was made in Bemina by police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Army, a police statement said.
He was identified as Nasir Ahmad Dar of Sopore.
A pistol, a magazine and five live rounds were recovered from his possession. Police said he admitted to delivering pistols in Srinagar city to carry out targeted killings.
