A Hizbul Mujahideen commander and a soldier were killed, while two soldiers were injured in two separate gunfights in Kashmir valley on Wednesday.
“The commander killed in the encounter is Azaad Lalhari of the Hizbul Mujahideen. He was involved in the killing of a police head constable, Anoop Singh, in May 2020 in Pulwama,” Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
Lalhari, a resident of Pulwama, was trapped during an operation of the security forces, launched “on a specific input” around 2:30 a.m. in Kamrazipora area of Pulwama.
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“The body was retrieved from the site of encounter. Incriminating materials and arms and ammunition were also recovered. Keeping in view the prevailing pandemic, the body was sent to Baramulla for burial and last rites. The nearest family members of the killed terrorist were allowed to participate in the last rites at Baramulla,” a police spokesman said.
The police said two Army jawans also received bullet injuries in the encounter. “One of the injured jawans succumbed to his injuries,” the spokesman said.
In a separate incident, militants injured a soldier in an attack in north Kashmir's Baramulla.
An Army spokesman said terrorists fired at a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of the Army when it was moving from Baramulla towards Gulmarg on the Srinagar-Baramulla National Highway near Trumgund Hygam crossing. “An Army soldier was injured. A search operation is in progress,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, a Lashkar-e-Taiba militant was held in north Kashmir’s Bandipora. The police identified him as Aquib Ahmad Rather, alias Jana, a resident of Sahipora, Handwara.
