House owner arrested under anti-militancy laws
SHOPIAN — A newly recruited local militant and two army personnel were killed in an encounter between government forces and militants at Chermarg village of Zainapora in Shopian district in South Kashmir on Saturday.
Reports said a joint team of government forces including Indian Army, J&K Police and CRPF had launched Cordon-and-Search-Operation (CASO) in Chermarg village of Zainapora following the inputs about presence of militants in the area.
They said that as the joint team of forces approached the suspected spot, militants fired upon them which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
In the encounter, one local militant identified as Abdul Qayoom Dar of Laroo Kakpora Pulwama was killed. He was affiliated with (LeT) Lashkar-i-Toiba militant outfit.
The two army personnel who were killed in the encounter have been identified as Sepoy Santosh Yadav and Sepoy Chavan Romit Tanaji, both from army’s 1st RR.
Arms and ammunitions including one AK rifle and a pistol were recovered from the site of encounter.
Police in a statement said, a case has been registered against the house owner Gowhar Ahmd Bhat and he has been arrested under anti-militancy laws.
The killed militant has been categorised as C category militant. He had a history of being a militant associate. In April 2020 an encounter took place in his house. He was arrested and booked under PSA, the statement added.
He was released in August 2021 but kept silently working for (militants). He said SSP Pulwama officially intimated some days earlier that Dar had left house and joined as an active militant of LeT outfit, the statement ends. — (KIMS)