Two militants killed in Srinagar, ‘intruder’ shot dead in Jammu

Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘commander’ Muhammad Saleem Parray was shot down after he was trapped inside famous Mughal garden Shalimar in Srinagar

Security Personnels shout slogans outside Famous Mughal Garden shootout in Srinagar on January 3, 2022.

Two militants were killed in Srinagar and one intruder was shot dead by the BSF near the International Border (IB) in Jammu’s Arnia on Monday in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) ‘commander’ Muhammad Saleem Parray was trapped inside famous Mughal garden Shalimar in Srinagar in the afternoon. Policemen wearing civilian clothes carried out the operation “following a specific tip-off”.

“The police cornered Parray in Shalimar but he opened fire [at the security forces]. In the retaliatory firing, he was killed. His killing is a big success for the police. He was involved in around a dozen killings in 2016,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said.

Hours later, security forces encircled an unidentified militant from the nearby Gusu area of Harwan. “One militant was killed. Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the encounter site,” the police said.

The police identified the militant as Hafiz alias Hamza from Pakistan. “He was involved in killing of two policemen in Bandipora and after this terror incident, he shifted to Harwan area of Srinagar,” Mr. Kumar said.

Two militants encircled

Earlier, the police suspected that they encircled two militants inside the garden but found only one body. The second militant, later killed in Gusu, may have fled from the garden.

A BSF spokesman said, “Alert and brave BSF troops on the IB in Arnia area saw the movement of a suspected Pakistani person and he was challenged. He did not pay any heed and was subsequently shot dead by the troops”.

In a separate operation, the BSF recovered a huge consignment of arms and ammunition near the IB in Ramgarh.

“Three AK-47 rifles, five magazines, four pistols and ammunition were recovered. Besides, five packets of narcotics [heroin] were also recovered,” the spokesman said.

Infiltration bid foiled in Poonch, Army on alert

The Army on Monday evening said a group of Pakistani terrorists were trying to attempt to infiltrate from the Line of Control in Poonch district.

“Around 8:30 p.m., a group of Pakistani terrorists were observed trying to attempt infiltration through the Bhimber Gali Sector. Alert troops foiled the bid and subsequent search of the area has led to the recovery of ammunition and Pakistani currency left behind by the fleeing terrorists,” a Jammu-based Army spokesman said.

The Army said they are vigilant and alert to the nefarious designs of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists and determined to thwart any such