STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in Pulwama District of south Kashmir, police said on Thursday.
Security forces cordoned off Gursoo area in Pulwama District last evening following information about presence of militants in the area, a police official said.
He said the security forces launched house to house searches in order to flush out the militants.
“At around 3:00 AM, the militants tried to escape from the house where they were hiding. They were challenged by the security forces and asked to surrender,” the official said. He said the militants opened fire on the security force who retaliated, resulting in the death of the two ultras.
The bodies of the militants were recovered this morning.
One of the slain militants was identified as Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, a resident of nearby Samboora village.
The identity of the other militant, believed to be a foreigner, was being ascertained, the official said. Both the militants were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, the official said adding, two AK rifles were recovered from the scene of the gunbattle.
‘Concerned over youth joining terror ranks’
JAMMU: GoC-in-C Northern Command Headquarters Lt-Gen DS Hooda on Thursday claimed youth joining militancy ranks across the Kashmir Valley is one of the biggest concerns on their minds and they are all working to contain the trend.
Greeting people of Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of New Year Lt Gen Hooda told selected reporters in his office chamber in Udhampur, by and large year 2015 remained peaceful and the security forces earned many successes by eliminating top commanders in the hinterland but the biggest concerns remain large number of youth joining the ranks of militancy in the Kashmir valley.
Lt Gen Hooda also extended a helping hand before these misguided youth with an offer to surrender and join the mainstream. He said to contain the trend of youth joining the ranks of militancy we have to work togeher.
He said parents, families, security forces and society as a whole has a role to perform to contain the disturbing trend.
Commenting on the prevailing security situation in the state Lt Gen Hooda said by and large security situation remained peaceful in the state.
Expressing satisfaction over the role of security forces in containing infiltration from across the line of control Lt-Gen Hooda said, “the counter infiltration posture the Army had adopted along the line of control has been fairly successful, and as per our assessment the infiltration this year is somewhere in the region of 30 which is half what it was in the last year. According to official sources, “171 people including 111 militants, 20 civilians and 41 security personnel were killed across the state in 2015.
