SRINAGAR: At least four terrorists linked to Pakistan-backed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in an encounter with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian in the wee hours of Monday.
According to the reports, the encounter broke out at the midnight around 2 AM at the Manihal area of Shopian. A joint operation of J&K Police, the Indian Army and the CRPF was launched after receiving inputs about the presence of some terrorists in the area.
#ShopianEncounterUpdate: 02 #unidentified #terrorists killed. #Operation going on. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice https://t.co/Ua70Z5RYI4
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) March 22, 2021
The J&K Police initially said that two terrorists were killed in the joint operation. The joint operation is still underway, it added.
Jammu & Kashmir: Joint operation underway with a total of three terrorists eliminated in an encounter with security forces in Shopian. Two of them were associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. More details awaited.
(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/JYHUa2jBdW
— ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2021
A massive search and combing operation was launched in the area to flush out some more terrorists possibly hiding in the area. Sharing more details later, IG Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, "The two terrorists killed in an encounter with the security forces in Shopian were associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)."
"Two more terrorists are trapped at the encounter site. The operation is still underway,'' IG Vijay Kumar said. However, it later emerged that one more terrorist was killed in the ongoing encounter in South Kashmir`s Shopian district, according to authorities.
"A total of three terrorists eliminated in the encounter with security forces in Shopian till now. Joint operation in progress,'' Chinar Corps, Indian Army, said.
However, it later emerged that a total of four terrorists belonging to the LeT were killed in the Shopian encounter. Addressing a press conference, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told reporters, "All four terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toiba were killed in the joint operation carried out in Shopian.''
The slain terrorists have been identified as - Aamir Shafi From Bata Pora, Shopian, Rayees Ah Bhat, Aaqib Malik and Altaf Ahmad Wani. "One Army personnel was injured. The situation is under control now,'' IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told reporters.
