2-3 militants escape after exchanging gunfire: Police

Anantnag: An A-Category Pakistani militant who was Lashkar-e-Toiba’s IED expert was killed in an encounter with government forces at Larnoo area of Anantnag district Saturday morning, police said.
Two to three other militants managed to escape after exchanging fire with the government forces, sources in the police said. “The area was thoroughly combed and the operation was called off after no further contact could be established with the militants,” the sources said.
Early in the morning, a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by police, army’s 19RR, and 164Bn CRPF in Larnoo area, a police spokesperson said, adding that a militant identified as Nasir alias Shakeel Saab alias Shak Bhai, a Category A militant and an IED expert affiliated with LeT outfit, was killed.
Police said that the body of the slain militant has been retrieved along with an AK-47 rifle, 3 magazines, and several rounds of ammunition. Medico-legal formalities were being completed when this report was filed.
A senior police officer told Kashmir Reader that the militants opened indiscriminate fire and managed to change their location from a residential house to a nearby forest area. Government forces retaliated to the gunfire and one of the militants was gunned down
The officer said that the operation started at around 7:30 in the morning and after carrying out extensive searches in the area, it was called off by early afternoon. “We managed to retrieve the body of the militant, along with arms and ammunition and some incriminating material as well,” the officer said.
There were no protests around the site of the gunfight or anywhere else in Anantnag district. Internet services were also not snapped when the gunfight was in progress or later.

Suhail A Shah