Two terrorists behind attack on police killed: DGP;One Hizb militant, 5 LeT operatives held

STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Two terrorists, who were killed by security forces in an encounter in Baramulla district’s Sopore area on Thursday, belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen and were behind an attack on a police party.
“On Wednesday, a grenade attack was carried out on a police deployment party in Sopore town in which four policemen were injured,” Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, S P Vaid told reporters here.
“The description of assailants and CCTV footage helped in identifying and arresting two persons, including one who had hurled the grenade at the police party,” the DGP said.
Vaid said during interrogation, the arrested persons provided information about the hideout of the terrorists at whose behest they had carried out the attack.
“The security forces laid a cordon around the area. As they were closing in on the house where the terrorists were hiding, they opened fire. The security forces retaliated leading to death of the two terrorists,” the DGP said.
He said both slain terrorists were locals and belonged to the Hizbul Mujahdieen.
“They have been identified as Aijaz and Basharat,” he added.
“The two terrorists were eliminated in a joint operation with 22 Rashtriya Rifles, 92, 177 and 179 battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF),” a police spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, a Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist and five overground operatives of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfit were arrested from two separate places in Kashmir, the police said today.
Five LeT operatives were apprehended during checking of vehicles at Khusarpora Hajin axis in Bandipora in north Kashmir, the police said, claiming to have busted a module of
the outfit.
The recoveries from their car included 10 hand grenades, two AK magazines and 27 AK rounds, a police official said.
During preliminary investigation, the accused persons said they were working for LeT as over-ground workers (OGWs), according to the official.
The police has registered a case and further investigation is on, the official said.
Hizbul Mujahideen militant Suhaib Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Chursoo Awantipora in Pulwama district, was apprehended by the security forces from Manigam area of Qazigund, the official said.
The security forces recovered one pistol, one pistol magazine and eight pistol rounds from his possession, he said.