Srinagar: Two militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in a brief shootout in Rangreth area of Srinagar on Monday, police said.
It identified one among the slain as Aadil Ahmad Wani son of Bashir Ahmad Wani resident of Daramdoora Shopian while the identity of the second which police said was foreign militant was not ascertained yet. The duo was affiliated with Lashkar-e-Toiba, a police spokesperson added.
According t0 the official, they laid checkpoints based on specific input about movement of militants in the area. During checking, two suspected persons on noticing the police party fired indiscriminately upon them, it said.
“However, the fire was effectively retaliated, leading to a brief encounter. In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed on the spot,” police added.
As per police records, both the killed militants were involved in several crime cases and civilian atrocities and played a key role in the number of recent killings in Srinagar. On 04/03/2020, Aadil along with his associates fired upon the police party of Police Post Warpora Sopore in which 1 policeman Wajahat Asadullah was killed and a civilian Shaban Wagay was killed. Besides, the killed militant was also involved in several grenade attacks on Police/SF establishments including grenade attack at Bus Stand Sopore in which 19 civilians were injured, grenade attack at Police Post Bus Stand Sopore in which two police personnel were injured.
“Arms & ammunition including 2 AK rifles and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” it added.
Soon after the killing, stone throwing protests erupted in the area. Both men and women threw stones at the government forces which retaliated with teargas. Women were also seen protesting and booing at the forces passing through the area. They shouted slogans. “They could have arrested them (militants) instead of killing them,” said a woman at the site of the encounter.

Reader correspondent