Two local Al-Badr militants were killed in a pre-dawn operation in south Kashmir’s Shopian on Tuesday.
“On a specific input regarding the presence of terrorists in Kutpora area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched. They were given the opportunity to surrender. However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party leading to an encounter,” a police spokesman said.
The slain terrorists were identified as Irfan Ahmad Thoker from Kutpora, Shopian, and Umer Ahmad Lone from Naidgam Lone Mohallah. “Both were affiliated with the Al-Badr outfit. They were involved in many terror crime cases, including the looting of ₹60 lakh from a team of the J&K Bank,” the police said.
The police said incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of encounter. “All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crimes,” the police said.
The bodies shall be sent to Baramulla for burial and last rites. “The nearest family members shall be allowed to participate in the last rites,” the police said. Internet service was snapped in Shopian “as a precautionary measure”.