2 Local Militants Slain in Overnight Kulgam Military Operation: Police

Police said one among the slain militants, Imad Muzaffar Wani, was involved in attacks on government forces.

SRINAGAR — Two militants were killed in an overnight military operation in Hassanpora village of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Sunday afternoon, the police said.

The military operation was launched after the joint teams of the Jammu and Kashmir police, paramilitary CRPF and Indian Army cordoned off the village following “information” about presence of militants.

A police spokesperson said that on “specific input” about the presence of militants in Hassanpora village situated on the border of two south Kashmir districts, Kulgam and Anantnag, a military operation was launched Sunday evening jointly by Jammu and Kashmir Police and Indian Army’s 1 RR.

He said during the operation, militants fired on the government forces, conducting the operation, which was retaliated by the government forces leading to a gunfight.

In the ensuing gunfight, he said, two militants of militant outfit Al-Badr were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter. He identified the duo as Imad Muzaffar Wani, a resident of Arigam Pulwama and Abdul Rashid Thoker, a resident of Hassanpora.

As per police records, the spokesperson said, the slain militants part of groups involved in several cases including attacks on government forces and “civilian atrocities”. Besides, Imad Wani was involved in attack on police personnel Mushtaq Ahmad Wagay of Pulwama on 19-12-2021, in which the said police personnel got seriously injured.

“Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.”