Officials reported that four militants were killed in two separate overnight operations in Pulwama and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir. That included two recent recruits of Lashkar e Taiba and Jaish e Mohammad.
On the intervening night of July 7 and 8, the army said, a joint team of Anantnag-based Rashtriya Rifles, JKP, and CRPF launched multiple mobile vehicle checkpoints in Zodar, Kulgam. The army got information about the terrorist movement in the area and worked on quick plans.
“A white Maruti Car was told to come to a halt around 3 am for inspection.
When the terrorists saw the troops, they started firing and fled into the nearby forest area. The area was quickly blocked, and a firefight ensued.”
“Through the combined operation, two terrorists, Shahbaaz Ahmad Shah of the JeM, active since July 2020, and Nasir Ayub Pandit of the LeT, active since June 2021, were taken down,” the army said.
One AK-47 and one pistol were found, together with a large amount of ammunition. In a separate operation, troops from the Panzgom-based Rashtriya Rifles, the JKP, and the CRPF established a cordon around a built-up area in Puchhal, Pulwama, based on specific intelligence from the JKP.
“At 0030 hrs, terrorists lobbed grenades on the cordon party and tried to escape. However alert troops immediately retaliated and foiled the escape bid. Call for surrender was made, but the terrorist retaliated by firing and lobbing grenades at the security forces. In the ensuing gunfight, two terrorists of LeT were eliminated,” the army added.
Kifayat Sofi and Inayat Ahmad Dar of Pulwama district have been identified. The encounter location disclosed one AK-47 and one pistol, as well as different war-related items.
All of these terrorists were involved in threatening civilians and extorting money, as informed by the authorities.
