Three terrorists, including one from Pakistan, were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Kupwara and Shopian districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, the police said.
While two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists were killed in the Kupwara encounter, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist was gunned down in the operation in Shopian, they said.
Based on information about the movement of terrorists in the Kandi area of Kupwara, a joint special operation was launched by the security forces, a police spokesperson said.
During the search, the security forces came under heavy fire from the terrorists. An encounter ensued as the forces retaliated effectively, he said.
Two terrorists, including a foreigner, were killed in the encounter and their bodies were retrieved from the site. They have been identified as Ishtiaq Ahmad Lone, a resident of Tral, and Tufail, a resident of Lahore in Pakistan. Both of them were affiliated to the proscribed terror group LeT, the spokesperson said.
It is believed that they were supposed to receive the terrorists who escaped during an operation in the Zaloora area of Sopore on Monday, he said.
One Pakistani LeT terrorist was killed in the Zaloora operation, while three others managed to flee, he added.
Incriminating materials and arms and ammunition, including two AK-series rifles, have been recovered from the encounter site. A search operation is still underway in the area to nab other hiding terrorists, according to the spokesperson.
The security forces launched another operation in the orchards of Badimarg Aloora area of south Kashmir's Shopian after receiving specific inputs about the presence of a terrorist there, the spokesperson said.
As the forces proceeded towards the spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately at them. The forces retaliated, resulting in the elimination of the terrorist, he said.
The slain terrorist was identified as Nadeem Ahmad Rather alias Kamran, a resident of Ashmuji, Kulgam, he added.
According to police records, Rather was a categorised terrorist, active since 2020. He had recently switched to the HM from the LeT.
Rather was part of groups involved in several terror cases, including attacks on police and security forces, and civilian atrocities. He was also involved in Kulpora panch's killing on March 2. He was instrumental in reviving the HM in Kulgam by recruiting gullible youths, the spokesperson said.
Incriminating materials and arms and ammunition, including an AK rifle and an SLR, have been recovered from the encounter site. All the recovered materials have been included in the case records for further investigation, he said.
