Newsroom24x7 Network

Srinagar: On a specific input generated by Shopian Police about the presence of terrorists in orchards of Reban Bandpawa area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 34RR and 178Bn CRPF on Saturday 10 April.

During the search operation, when it was confirmed that terrorists were present there, they were given an opportunity to surrender. The terrorists responded by firing indiscriminately upon the joint search party which retaliated leading to an encounter. In the initial retaliatory firing, one terrorist was killed, but the operation was suspended to give the trapped terrorists another chance to surrender.

The joint teams exercised maximum restraint and facilitated the presence of family members of a holed up terrorist Faisal Gulzar to the encounter site so as to persuade him to surrender. Despite repeated appeals by his family members and assurances by the security forces, the other terrorists didn’t allow him to surrender. Ultimately in the wee hours, during the fierce gunfight both the trapped terrorists were killed and bodies of all the three killed terrorists were recovered from the site of encounter.

The slain terrorists have been identified as Aasif Ahmad Ganai and Faisal Gulzar Ganai, both residents of Chitragam Kalan. The identity of the third terrorist killed in the encounter is being ascertained. As per police records, they were part of groups involved in many terror crime cases and were linked with proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, IPS, congratulated the joint team of police and security forces for showing utmost patience and conducting operation in a professional manner. IGP Kashmir has made a fervent appeal to all misguided youth who have joined terror ranks to shun the path of violence and return to the mainstream.

Arms & ammunition, including 1 AK-56 rifle, 2 pistols and incriminating material have been recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered material has been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe complicity of the terrorists in other terror crimes.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People have also been requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of explosive material, if there is any.