J&K: Encounter Breaks Out In South Kashmir's Shopian, One LeT-Linked Terrorist Gunned Down

Encounter ensued at the Baskuchan area of South Kashmir's Shopian after security forces launched a cordon and search operation there suspecting presence of terrorists.

New Delhi: An encounter broke out between security forces and militants at Baskuchan village in the Imamsahib area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district, officials said on Sunday.

One terrorist identified as Naseer Ahmad Bhat of Nowpora Baskuchan in Shopian was gunned down in the operation. Naseer Bhat is linked with the Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit.

Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including an AK rifle have been recovered. He was involved in several terror crimes and recently escaped from an encounter, ADGP Kashmir said as informed by Kashmir Police on Twitter.

An official told that a joint team of police, Army, and CRPF launched a search operation in the area after receiving information about the presence of militants.

He said that as the joint team of forces intensified searches towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the party, which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter.

According to the official, the exchange of fire is underway and two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area

2 Jaish Terrorists Killed In Encounter In J-K's Baramulla

Previously, two encounters broke out between security forces and militants in Shopian and Baramulla districts of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of Friday.

The encounters began after the security forces launched cordon and search operations in the Chitragam area in south Kashmir's Shopian and in the Yedipora area in north Kashmir's Baramulla, a police official said.

Two local Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists were killed in the encounter in Baramulla district. According to the police, the duo was planning to target the Army's Agniveer recruitment rally

"The information we have is that they (terrorists) had reached here to target the Army's Agniveer (recruitment) rally and they were planning to disturb the youth who are trying to join the mainstream and to make this rally unsuccessful. But we foiled their plans," Senior Superintendent of Police, Baramulla, Rayees Bhat said, as quoted by PTI.

The security forces recovered an AKS-74U rifle from the encounter site along with three magazines, a pistol, a pistol magazine, and two bullets, he informed.

Meanwhile, more details about the ongoing encounter are awaited.