Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in a night-long operation by security forces in north Kashmir’s Sopore.
A cordon-and-search operation was launched jointly by the police and the Army on Tuesday night around Pazalpora village in Sopore, 55 km north of Srinagar.
A police official said the militants, in hiding, hurled grenades when the operation was being carried out. Later, the exchange of fire was halted for the night. It was around 3 a.m. that firing resumed, he said. Security forces blocked all escape routes at night and used flood lights for clear visibility.
Two militants, identified as Gulzar Ahmad Lone and Basit Ahmad, both from Baramulla district, were killed in the firing. “Although the holed up militants were asked to surrender, they denied. The militants continuously fired upon the joint search party,” the police spokesman said.
Two AK-47 rifles, five AK magazines, 124 AK rounds, 02 pouches and a grenade were recovered from the encounter site, he said. “Mr. Lone was involved in mobile tower attacks in 2015. His role was instrumental in instigating and luring the youth to join the Hizb outfit in Sopore,” said the police. Hizb spokesperson Burhanuddin said, “The duo was top ranking militants. Their separation is painful.”
