Two terrorists killed, as many Army jawans injured in Baramulla gunfight

Srinagar: One of the militants killed in a fierce gunfight with the security forces in the Kashmir Valley’s northwestern Baramulla district on Friday has been identified as Saifullah, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who figured in the list of “most wanted terrorists” by the security forces, the officials said here. They added that the identity of the second slain militant is being ascertained.

The Army and J&K police officials here said that the fighting broke out between a group of militants and the security forces in the Nowpora area on the peripheries of the apple-rich town of Sopore on Thursday evening.

The police sources said that the exchange of fire resumed at first light on Friday after a night-long halt and both the holed-up militants were gunned down in the security forces’ final assault soon thereafter.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) V. K. Bhirdi said, “As per the documents recovered from the slain, one terrorist has been identified as Saifullah." He added that arms, ammunition and other incriminating material were found on the slain men. A report said that two Army jawans were injured in the initial exchange of fire on Thursday.

While the gunfight was underway, the authorities ordered suspension of classwork in all educational institutions including colleges in the Sopore tehsil “as a precautionary measure.”

As this was the third militancy-related incident in J&K in the past two weeks, the security forces officials are known to have taken such happenings very seriously in view of the Lok Sabha elections. The IGP said, “We are committed to provide a safe and secure environment for Lok Sabha polls.”