Foreigner among two Jaish militants killed in Kulgam encounter

KULGAM – Two Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants including a foreigner were killed and two cops were injured in an ongoing gunfight at Khurbatpora area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam, police said Tuesday.

Police said the security forces zeroed in on a group of militants in Khurbatpora village of Manzgam on Monday evening. “After the presence of militants was ascertained, hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, leading to an encounter.”

Two militants including a Pakistani were killed in the gunfight, he said, adding that two cops suffered injuries in the encounter and were evacuated to hospital.

“#KulgamEncounterUpdate: One #Pakistani # militant (code name Chacha) & one #hybrid terrorist killed. 02 Police Personnel also injured. They are being evacuated to hospital. #Encounter going on: IGPKashmir,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.

Police spokesman said in a statement that police and Army killed two militants including a Pakistani militant in an encounter at Khurbatpora area of Kulgam. Besides, huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered in Anantnag, he said.

“On April 11, based on specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding movement of terrorists in a vehicle on Manzgam-Aharbal axis, a special joint team of Police & Army was constituted. A three-wheeler vehicle (Tempo) was spotted near Khur-Batpora moving in suspicious conditions which was chased and challenged. However, the militants travelling in the suspected vehicle jumped out and resorted to indiscriminate firing towards the joint team of forces. The militant fire was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said.

He said that in the initial exchange of fire two police personnel got critically injured and were evacuated amidst the heavy firing and air lifted to Army’s Base Hospital Srinagar where their condition is stable now.

“In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved. They have been identified as a Pakistani militant Jameel Pasha alias Usman Chacha linked with Jaish-e-Muhammad and a hybrid militant Sameer Ahmad Sofi son of Farooq Ahmad Sofi, resident of Amshipora, Shopian,” the spokesman said..

As per police records, the slain militant Jameel Pasha was active since five years in Kulgam-Shopian belt and had a history of crime cases including attacks on Police/SF, abduction of forces personnel, civilian atrocities, IED attacks, weapon looting. “Besides, he was also instrumental in recruitment of gullible youth into militancy folds. It is pertinent to mention that the killed militants were part of the group that escaped after a brief gunfight in Chaki Samad area of Kulgam,” the spokesman said.

IGP Kashmir appreciated joint team for conducting successful operation which led to elimination of most wanted Pakistani militant. “Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 01 AK47 rifle, 03 AK47 Magazine, 36 AK 47 rounds, 01 Pistol, 01 Pistol Magazine, 05 Pistol rounds, 01 Grenade catch 86P, 01 BP Pouch and 01 weapon Oil Bottle have been recovered,” the spokesman said that all the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes.