Srinagar
Security forces killed two suspected Pakistani militants in a gunfight in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday.
The police said the two slain militants Rizwan, alias Jindaal, and Ali, alias Maaz, were part of the group which killed at least six civilians in the Hajin area of Bandipora district this year.

The gunfight started in the wee hours when joint teams of the police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation at Par Mohalla, Hajin, some 35 km from Srinagar, after an input about the presence of two or three militants.

“During the search, terrorists fired on the security forces. It was retaliated, leading to killing of two terrorists,” a police spokesman said. “A huge quantity of arms and ammunition, including rifles, magazines, etc, and incriminating material was recovered from the encounter site.”

The spokesman said the two terrorists belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba and were from Pakistan.

“From the incriminating material seized from the site of the encounter, it is learnt that both the killed terrorists were from Pakistan. Both were affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba,” he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Bandipora, Sheikh Zulfikar Azad said the two militants were members of the group which was involved in at least six civilian killings.

“Ali was the main handler in the cases in which civilians were killed by stabbing in the area. The two militants were involved in six civilian killings in Hajin this year,” Azad said.