American-made M4 carbine rifle recovered: Police

Shopian: In the month’s third encounter in Shopian district, two militants and an army soldier were killed in an overnight gunfight at Dangam village while an American-made M4 carbine rifle was recovered from the militants’ possession besides one AK-47 rifle and a pistol, police said.
The gunfight broke out on Saturday night when government forces were carrying out a cordon and search operation in the area. Two army men were also injured in the initial exchange of fire.
With the latest killing of two militants, the number of militants killed this year in Kashmir has reached 21. Shopian district tops the list with 11 militants having been killed in five separate encounters.
According to police, a cordon and search operation was launched by a joint team of government forces including 34 Rashtriya Rifles of army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and central reserve police force (CRPF) on Saturday afternoon at Ronipora village. The operation was later extended to Wangam, a nearby village.
They said that the forces’ search party was fired upon by the hiding militants, resulting in injuries to three soldiers. A soldier identified as Pinku Kumar later succumbed to his injuries, while the two other injured army men were removed to Srinagar’s 92 base army hospital.
Locals from the village told Kashmir Reader that soon after the killing of a militant, another heavy exchange of fire took place at around 9 pm and later around 12 am in which the second trapped militant was also reportedly killed.
One residential house, according to locals, has sustained minor damages during the encounter.
The slain militants have been identified by police as Anaytullah Sheikh, son of Mohd Amin Sheikh, resident of Ramnagri Shopian, affiliated with Hizb ul Mujahideen outfit, and Adil Ahmad Malik, son of Nazir Ahmad Malik, resident of Danwathpora Kokernag, affiliated with LeT (TRF) outfit.
“As per police records, militant Anaytullah Sheikh was active since 2018 and had recently infiltrated back from Pakistan and another militant Adil Ahmed Malik was active since 01/09/2020. They were involved in several criminal cases including attacks on forces and civilian atrocities,” the police statement read.

Raashid Hassan