Abid Bashir
Srinagar (NVI): A Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was among three militants killed in an encounter with security forces in Reban village of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district today, Kashmir zone police said.
A Pakistani LeT terrorist, who was also involved in recent terror attack in Sopore was killed in today’s encounter, it said.
“#SoporeEncounterUpdate: #Pakistani LeT #terrorist Usman killed in #encounter. He was involved in recent #terror attack at #Sopore in which one CRPF jawan was martyred and one civilian was killed. Big success for Police & SFs: IGP Kashmir,” Kashmir zone police said quoting IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar.
On July 1, terrorists had attacked a CRPF party at model town Sopore, in which a CRPF jawan and an elderly man were killed. Police and CRPF had claimed that the attack was carried by two Lashkar militants from a mosque.
The slain elderly man was traveling to Sopore along with his three-year-old grandchild, who tried to wake up his grandfather after he was shot in the attack by terrorists on the CRPF party. The heart-wrenching pictures of the incident had gone viral on social media.
“Two more terrorists killed (Total three terrorists killed). Joint Operation in progress,” defence spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia told NVI earlier.
Acting on a tip-off, joint teams of Police, Army and the CRPF cordoned off village Reban in Sopore at around 4:30 am today. “After zeroing in on a suspected spot, the hiding militants opened fire at the forces, triggering an encounter. Heavy firing is going on from both sides,” a police official told NVI.
Sources said that more reinforcements of Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) were rushed to Reban area as militants were changing their positions.
Earlier, sources in the security grid said post-July 1 attack, a massive operation was launched in the area to nab the attackers, and those killed in the gunfight today were the same who carried out the Sopore attack.
-ARK
