Two teenagers rescued from joining militancy; weapons recovered from cave
State Times News
Srinagar: A newly recruited local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was gunned down in an overnight encounter with security forces that also resulted in the death of an unidentified person in the ensuing crossfire in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, security officials said on Friday.
The encounter broke late last night at Kanibal in Bijbehara of Anantnag district, 55 kms from here, when the police along with Army and CRPF cordoned off a village following an intelligence input about the presence of militants, they said.
During the encounter, which lasted for two hours, one militant identified as Yawar, hailing from Anantnag, was killed while two other militants managed to escape under the cover of darkness, they said, adding that an Army jawan also sustained bullet injury but was stated to be stable.
Yawar, who was allegedly a “chronic stone pelter” of the area, had joined the militant outfit in the first week of last month, they said, adding that a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) looted earlier from a police guard was recovered from him.
During the encounter, one motorcycle-borne individual, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was found dead with bullet injuries, the officials said, expressing apprehension that he might have died in the crossfire.
The number plate of the vehicle was damaged and no identity card of the deceased was found.
Two mobile phones were recovered from the deceased who was in multi-layered clothing. The telephone contacts in his handset could not immediately help to confirm his identified.
The local police have released his picture for identification.
According to the officials, the body of Yawar was handed over to his family for burial and restrictions were imposed in the town as a preventive measure.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Police said it rescued two teenage boys who wanted to join militants due to fear of “failing in examinations” from Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Basharat Ahmad Dar (15) and Anayat Qayoom Bhat (17) were recovered by the police from militancy-infested Tral area on Wednesday, two days after they were reported missing by their families in Chrar-e-Sharief area of Budgam district, a police spokesman said.
The duo told the police that they had gone to Tral to meet militants after they had done poorly in the mock board examinations conducted in their school, he said.
“During questioning, both the students said that they had gone to Tral after faring poorly in the exam and wanted to meet militants.
After proper counselling, they have been handed over to their parents yesterday,” he said, adding that the parents of the two boys hailed the efforts of the police in bringing their children back to their families.
The police also said that the security forces have recovered five weapons, including two AK series assault rifles, from a natural cave hideout of terrorists from Rajouri district, the police said.
Following a specific input, a joint search operation of the police and Army was launched at the Kotranka belt of the district, said a senior police officer.
The weapons were recovered from a natural cave in the Baurgalli area, which was used by terrorists as a hideout, he added.
Two AK rifles, two magazines of AK rifles and three pistols were recovered from the cave, said the officer, adding that cognizance of the matter had been taken and a probe into it was on.
The police team in the operation was led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations) Sukhdev Singh, under the supervision of Senior Superintendent of Police, Rajouri, Yougal Manhas.
