As quoted in the report, Kashmir Police IG briefed about the development stating that Shopian Police was informed that 4-5 terrorists were in an orchard in Kiloora area. When security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation, the militants fired.
During the encounter, four terrorists have been killed while one has been captured who is being questioned. Out of four terrorists killed, Shakoor Ahmed Parray was the most important. He was a special police officer (SPO) and later made constable who had fled with 4 AK-47 and joined militancy. He formed a group, Al-Badr and recruited 10 youths out of which 5 have been killed.
The official further said that the authorities will increase operations from November in order to eliminate remaining terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per reports, all the militants belonged to the banned Al-badr mujahideen outfit, and two AK-47 rifles and two pistols have been recovered from them.
The operation was started in Kiloora village late Friday afternoon, on a specific input about the presence of militants in the dense apple orchards. During the initial firing, security forces killed two militants, while others spread in the apple orchards.
As the operation intensified, two more militants of Al- Badr were killed, but one of the militants who was apparently not carrying any weapon was caught during live action, something which has happened for the first time. The arrested militant has been identified as Shoaib Ahmed Bhat of Charsoo who had joined recently. He is a BUMS, third year student.
Security forces have killed 150 militants in kashmir Since January 2020. One of the killed militant has been identified as Shakoor ahmed Parry, who had escaped with 4 weapons of SDPO Awantipora in 2018 and formed Albadr.
Another terrorist was identified as Suhaib, who has been involved in killing of the sarpanch Nasir. Police have recovered 2 Ak rifles and three pistols.
Earlier, a joint team of Police, Army's 44RR and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Kiloora. As the joint team encircled the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off an encounter.
The encounter broke out almost a month after security forces gunned down a top Jaish-e-Mohammad militant commander, known to be an IED expert in operation in Kulgam in July.
A cordon and search operation was launched by a joint team of Kashmir Police, 62 Rashtriya Rifles and CRPF during which, three militants were killed while three army soldiers were injured in the gunfight at the Nagnad Chimmer area of the Kulgam district.
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It was earlier reported that more than 120 militants have been eliminated from Jammu and Kashmir since January 2020 with April being the bloodiest till now with 29 militants being neutralized in a month.
While 22 were killed in January, 11 in February, 9 in March and 15 in May including top commanders of Lashkar, Jaish, Hizb, and Ansar Gazwatul Hind.
(With additional inputs from Asif Qureshi)