Two Al-Badr terrorists, responsible for the recent attacks on migrant labourers in Kashmir, were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Pulwama district, the police said on Thursday.
Following inputs regarding the presence of terrorists in Mitrigam village of Pulwama, a search operation was launched by the security forces on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.
During the search operation, as the security forces moved towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the search party which was retaliated that led to an encounter, he said.
In the initial exchange of fire, a soldier received gunshot injuries and was immediately rushed to hospital, police said.
However, the operation was halted to ensure safe evacuation of all the civilians trapped around the encounter site, the spokesman said.
After the evacuation of civilians, the encounter resumed in which two local terrorists identified as Aijaz Hafiz of Dalipora, and Shahid Ayoub of Dheeri Murran, linked with proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr, were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the spot, he said.
The spokesman said that as per the police records, both the killed militants were categorised terrorists and part of groups involved in several terror attacks on police/security forces and civilians. The killed terrorists were also involved in a series of recent terror attacks on migrant labourers in Pulwama.
Hafiz was involved in firing upon migrant labourers namely Sonu Sharma, a native of Pathankot, at Yadder Pulwama, Mohammad Akram from UP's Bijnor at Arihal Pulwama and Vishwajeet Kumar of Banka in Bihar at Circular Road Gangoo, Pulwama, the spokesman said.
"He was also involved in firing upon bank guard Abdul Hamid Wani, a resident of Tahab Pulwama, and sarpanch Ghulam Nabi Kumar of Panchayat Halqa Arihal B at Arihal Pulwama. Besides these terror crimes, terrorist Hafiz was instrumental in recruiting Shahid Ayoub into terrorist ranks, who too was neutralised in the encounter," he said.
The spokesman said Ayoub was involved in firing upon two migrant labourers namely Patlashwar Kumar and Joko Choudhary -- both natives of Bihar -- at Lajoora Pulwama.
"Before joining the terrorist ranks, he was working as a terrorist associate and was involved in several other terror crimes," he said.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter, the police said.
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, has termed the operation as a big success and congratulated the joint forces for neutralising the terrorists involved in the recent terror attacks on migrant labourers.
