Army deserter among 2 Hizbul militants killed in encounter in J&K's Shopian

Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants, including an Army deserter, were Tuesday killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Safanagri area of Zainapora of south Kashmir in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday after receiving credible inputs about the presence of militants in the area, a police spokesperson said. He said as the search operation was going on, the hiding militants fired on the search party of the forces.

The spokesperson said the forces retaliated the fire, leading to an encounter in which two militants were killed. The slain ultras have been identified as Mohammad Idrees Sultan alias Chota Abrar, a resident of Safanagri Shopian and Amir Hussain Rather alias Abu Sobaan, a resident of Awneera Shopian.

"They were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit HM and were involved in terror attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area," he said.

The spokesperson said Sultan was a deserter from the Indian Army and had joined the militant ranks in April this year. "No collateral damage took place during the operation," he said.

Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were seized from the site of the encounter, he said. Police have registered a case and initiated investigation into the matter, he said. He appealed to the people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can be dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

"People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any," the spokesperson said.