Five out of the seven Militants Killed in the two encounters that raged in the Shopian and Tral areas of South Kashmir have been identified as Locals.
An official told The Kashmiriyat that the five Militants have been identified as associates of Hizb ul Mujahideen and Ansar Ghazwat ul Hind, while two of them remain unidentified.
Officials told The Kashmiriyat that 44 RR of Indian Army, 142 BN of CRPF, and Jammu Kashmir Police after receiving inputs about Militant presence in the Shopian town laid a cordon and search operation in the area on Thursday afternoon.
While conducting the Search Operation, the holed-up Militants opened fire on the Forces, to which the forces retaliated, during the five Militants were killed. The holed-up Militants were asked to surrender but they refused.
According to the official, one of them has been identified as Muzammil Manssor Tantray active since August 2019, Adil Ahmed Lone active since July 2019, Younis Ahmed Khanday, active since November 2020 and Basit Ismail Baskshi active since June 2020, while one out of the two killed in Tral encounter has been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed Shah of Rathsuna Tral who was active since April 2019.
In Tral’s Nowbugh area, the joint team of police and Army’s 42 RR launched a cordon and search operation (CASO). The militants hiding there fired upon forces, triggering the gunfight.