Two Lashkar militants killed in Sopore encounter

Baramulla: Two local militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed on Thursday by security forces in an encounter in apple township of Sopore in this north Kashmir district, official sources said.

Mobile internet service remained suspended as a precautionary measure to prevent spread of rumours since yesterday afternoon when the operation was launched.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of  militants, troops of Army, Special Operation Group (SOG) of Jammu and  Kashmir police and CRPF launched a joint search operation at Brath,  Kalan Sopore, in Baramulla on Wednesday afternoon.

Sources told UNI that with the first  light this morning, security forces resumed cordon and search operation  at Gund Brath Kalan, Sopore in this north Kashmir district. The  operation was suspended last night to avoid any causalities due to  darkness though security forces remained deployed to prevent any  militant attempt to escape from the cordoned off area despite chilly  weather conditions.

However,  when the security forces were moving towards a particular house in the  area, the militants hiding there opened fire with automatic weapons.  Security forces also retaliated and in the encounter, two militants were  killed, they said. 

The slain militants were identified as Owais Bhat and Tahir Ahmad Dar.A police spokesman has appealed to people not to go near the encounter site as security forces were busy to remove any unexploded shell or material.

A complete shutdown was being observed in Sopore though life was normal elsewhere in the north Kashmir.Additional security forces have been deployed outside the cordoned off area to prevent any demonstration.(UNI)