SRINAGAR: Two militants, one of them a Lashkar-e-Toiba commander, were killed on Saturday by government forces on Srinagar outskirts, police said.
According to police, one of the two militants killed was Ishfaq Rashid, a resident of village Sozeith. He was one of top LeT commanders active since 2018 and wanted in many cases of militant violence, police said.
“The other killed militant, Aijaj Bhat, was an important LeT cadre from Pulwama district,” police said.
The encounter started during search operations in Ranbirgarh area of Lawaypora on city outskirts.
Police said that militants opened fire while forces zeroed in on a suspected spot, triggering a gun battle between forces and militants.
Forces have recovered one AK-47 and a pistol from the slain militants, police said.
“The militants were given opportunity to surrender, however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated to, leading to an encounter,” the police statement said, adding that “in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.”
Their bodies will be buried at Ganderbal, the statement said.
“In case any family claims the killed terrorists to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for their identification at PCR Srinagar/ Burial place and participation in last rites at Ganderbal,” it said.
Parimpora police station has registered a case over this encounter.
The last encounter that took place in Srinagar was in May when top militant Junaid Sehrai was killed. With the killing of this militant, 16 have been killed in Srinagar so far in July.

Reader correspondent