Anantnag: Two local militants of Jaish-e-Muhammad were killed on Tuesday evening in a gunfight between militants and government forces here in Kulgam district of South Kashmir. The gunfight is the second one in Kulgam district in less than 24 hours.
Police revealed that the two militants holed up at the site of the gunfight were both locals from Kulgam district.
It said that the killed militants were categorized JeM militants and were identified as Mohammad Shafi Ganie of Batpora of Kulgam and Mohammad Asif Wani @ Yawar of Takia Gopalpora of Kulgam. “02 AK 47 rifles, ammunition recovered,” said ADGP Kashmir.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Vijay Kumar, confirmed that the two holed up militants were members of JeM and both locals. “One of them has been killed. The operation is going on, further details will follow,” Kumar said.
Later, he confirmed the killing of second militant as well.
The gunfight erupted in Ahwattoo village of Kulgam district, where forces had initiated a cordon and search operation following inputs regarding the presence of militants.
“Contact was established with the militants and they were asked to lay down their arms. They however opened indiscriminate fire, which was retaliated triggering a gunfight,” the police official said.
Monday evening a Pakistani national, by the name of Hurairah, was killed in a gunfight with government forces in the Batpora area of Kulgam district. An army man and two civilians were also injured during the gunfight and have been hospitalized for treatment.
Seven militants have been killed in September thus far here in South Kashmir, in five different gunfights. Two of the gunfights were reported from the Dachnipora area of Bijbehara in the Anantnag district, leading to the killing of four militants.
The third gunfight was reported in the Shopian district which led to the killing of a militant. An army man also sustained injuries in this gunfight.
The latest has been the two back-to-back gunfights in Kulgam district, leading to the killing of two militants thus far.
More than 140 militants have been killed this year in different gunfights, only 33 of them Pakistani nationals. “The rest of them were locals,” a police official told Kashmir Reader.
Militants, on the other hand, have been targeting Kashmiri Pandits, non-locals, policemen on leave, and politically affiliated locals.

Suhail A Shah