SRINAGAR: Two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists from Pakistan and a civilian were killed in an overnight anti-terror operation in Pampore in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. An injured terrorist surrendered during the gunfight, taking the total number of ultras who surrendered during live encounters to nine so far this year, IGP (Kashmir Range) Vijay Kumar said on Friday.
The slain terrorists were identified as Umar Bhai and Huzaifa, police said. One of them was killed late Thursday while the other was slain when the anti-terror operation — that had been temporarily suspended owing to darkness — resumed on Friday morning. The surrendered terrorist, Khawar Sultan Mir, belongs to Pampore’s Drangbal area. All three were Lashkar affiliates.
On Thursday evening, a joint team of Army’s 50RR, CRPF’s 110Bn and Awantipora Police launched a cordon-and-search operation in Pampore’s Lalpora Chatlam area based on intelligence inputs about the presence of terrorists there, IGP Kumar said.
An encounter broke out soon after holed-up ultras opened fire at the search party. Two civilians, Abid Nabi and Kifayat Ahmad, were injured in the crossfire. Abid succumbed during treatment at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital on Friday while Kifayat was in a stable condition at Srinagar’s Bone and Joint Hospital, police said.
“The terrorists were given a chance to surrender when Mir laid down his arms and yielded in an injured condition. He was shifted to a hospital,” a police statement said.