2 militants killed in Anantnag gunfight

Srinagar: Two militants, who were allegedly part of a group that was behind the last week attack that left a seven-year-old child and a CRPF man dead, were killed on Tuesday morning, in a gunfight in the district.

Police sources said the two slain militants were locals. A senior police official from the Anantnag said the gunfight took place at Waghama village of Bijbehara on Tuesday morning.

“The militants were in an orchard and we received inputs regarding their presence,” the official said, adding that the area was cordoned off soon after the inputs were received.

He said the militants were given a chance to surrender, but they instead fired and were killed in a retaliatory fire.

“The area was combed and along with the bodies of the militants a pistol and an SLR were retrieved,” the official said.

The IGP, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said both the killed militant along with another militant Zahid Dass were involved the last week killings.

“The two along with Zahid were involved in the killing of one policeman last year and the killing of two CRPF personnel and one minor boy recently,” Vijay Kumar said.

The killing of the boy had triggered immense anger in Kashmir. Soon after the killing of the child and CRPF man on June 26, the police had also released a photo of Zahid of radical militant group ISJK and said he was involved in the killing. Zahid was the only killer identified by the police at that time.