3 LeT militants, woman killed in Handwara fire fight

Srinagar: Three militants and a woman were killed in an overnight encounter between government forces and militants in north Kashmir’s Unisoo village in Handwara, police said.

“Last night we had information about the presence of three foreign terrorists in a particular house. The joint operation was launched by the RR, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF and the particular house cordoned off,” Director General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid said.

During the search operation, militants hiding in the house of Abdul Hamid Mir fired upon the joint search party, police said.

Vaid added that one militant was shot outside the house after he tried to escape from the encounter site.

 “During the exchange of fire, two terrorists were eliminated inside the house. Total three terrorists have been eliminated or neutralized,” he added.

Vaid said that they (militants) had kept the house inmates as hostages and with great difficulty, they were rescued.

“In the process, one lady of the house has succumbed to the injuries inflicted by the terrorists,” the DGP said.

The woman was identified as Misra Bano wife of Ishfaq Ahmad Wani. Bano was living with her parents along with her husband and a six-month old baby.

A police official said that one member of the house tried to escape during which she sustained serious bullet wounds and subsequently died due to grave injuries.

Meanwhile, braving rains and cold weather thousands of people from different areas of north Kashmir converged on roads and started marching towards Unsoo to offer funeral prayers of the slain woman.

According to the locals, Misra’s body was wrapped in Pakistani flag and people were seen jostling with each other to have a last glimpse of her.

She was laid to the rest amid pro-freedom sloganeering in her ancestral graveyard of Unisoo village.

Later, police said that a huge quantity of ammunition and three weapons were recovered from the encounter site.

The DGP said that the militants apparently looked like to be Pakistanis.

“In unisoo Handwara all the three terrorists apparently Pakistanis have been neutralised by Joint team of J&K Police, RR &CRPF. It has been raining whole night & boys were out there in the cold,” Vaid tweeted.

According to press statement by the police, three unidentified militants of LeT were killed in the encounter. “The identity of these terrorists is being ascertained,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, authorities have snapped internet services in Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara and Kupwara in wake of killing of the woman and militants.

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