Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants were killed in an encounter in Shopian on Monday, taking the number of militants killed this year so far to 19.
“A joint team of the security forces cordoned off a village in Imam Sahib in Shopian, after a tip-off. The hiding militants fired indiscriminately. The family members of the trapped militants were taken to the encounter site to make a surrender offer. The militants turned down the offer and opened fire, in which a soldier sustained bullet injury,” IGP Vijay Kumar said.
He said there were reports suggesting that the militants belonged to The Resistance Front and the Lashkar-e-Mustafa. “These are off shoots of the LeT and the Jaish-e-Muhammad. All of them belonged to the LeT.”
The police identified them as Rayees Ahmed, active since October; Amir Mir, active since February this year; Raqib Malik, active since December and Aftab Wani, active since November.
J&K has witnessed nine encounters this year, in which 19 militants were killed. “So far 18 youth joined militancy this year. Five have been killed and three arrested,” the IGP said.
On the Amarnath yatra that will commence on June 28, IGP Kumar said the security forces will ensure peaceful pilgrimage. “Sticky bombs are of course a problem but the situation is not alarming. There will be round-the-clock patrolling of yatra routes by 360-degree camera fitted Mobile Bunker Vehicles (MBVs),” he said.
The IGP described stone pelting “a larger issue than militancy”. “It creates a negative impact and keeps tourists away. Anybody who indulges in stone pelting will be slapped with PSA [Public Safety Act].”
