Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday said that the militants killed in a gunfight in Hardshiva area of north Kashmir’s Sopore belonged to militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.
In a statement issued here, a police spokesperson said, “On a specific input generated by Sopore Police regarding the presence of militants a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 22RR and 179Bn CRPF in the said area,”
Adding that during the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender, “However they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to a gunfight,”
In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site, “The identification and affiliation of the killed militants are being ascertained. However, as per credible sources, the killed militants belonged to the proscribed LeT outfit,”
The spokesman said that Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of gunfight, “All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their role and complicity in other terror crimes,”
Adding that the dead bodies of the slain militants have been sent to Baramulla for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including the collection of their DNA, “In case any family claims the killed militants to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for their identification and participation in the last rites at Baramulla,”
In this connection, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Bomai and investigation has been initiated.
People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any.
