J&K: Hizb’s Doda commander among 3 terrorists killed, district militancy free

at 10:43 am
2 LeT militants surrender after gunfight in J&K's Kulgam
(Representational/file image)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Three terrorists were killed in an encounter that broke out in Runipora area of Shangus belt of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district today morning, police said.

The terrorists who were killed in the encounter today included the only surviving terrorist of Doda district of Jammu, now making the district militancy free.

Director General of Police (J&K) Dilbagh Singh said that acting on a tip off, joint teams of police, Army and CRPF laid a siege in Runipora in Anantnag district early morning.

“When the teams closed in on a spot where terrorists were hiding, they opened fire and in a very neat and clean operation, three terrorists were killed,” he said, adding that there was no collateral damage.

The DGP Singh said among the three terrorists is one last surviving terrorist from Doda district of Jammu, who had shifted his base from Doda to Srinagar. “With his killing, Doda district of Jammu is now militancy free,” the DGP added.

A police spokesman said that the Doda terrorist has been identified as Masood Ahmed, who was involved in a rape case and was absconding ever since. He had later joined Hizbul Mujahideen and was operating in south Kashmir as one of the commanders of the outfit. “There is no active terrorist in Doda district of Jammu region now,” he said.

The identity of two other terrorists is being ascertained and it is believed that they were locals. With the killing of three terrorists today, the total number of militants killed this year in Kashmir has reached 116. Today’s encounter was 13th in a row in South Kashmir in the month of June in which so far 36 terrorists have been killed.

-CHK