Suhail Khan
SOPORE, Apr 26: A foreign terrorist among two terrorists were killed in an encounter in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Friday.
An official told Kashmir Despatch that security forces shot dead two militants during an overnight operation in Nowpora area of Sopore.
He said two soldiers and a civilian were also injured during the encounter. The official identified one of the terrorists as Saifullah while the identity of second one is being ascertained.
The encounter between terrorists and forces in Sopore, an erstwhile militant hotbed, broke out Thursday evening.
Police in a post on X said, acting on a specific intelligence input, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, army, and Central Reserve Police Force in the Check Mohalla Nowpora in Sopore on Thursday evening.
“During the search operation, the joint team encountered indiscriminate firing from the hiding terrorists. The security forces retaliated, leading to an encounter.
In the ensuing exchange that continued throughout the night, two terrorists were neutralized on Friday.
The official said one of the slain was identified through the documents recovered from the encounter site as Saifullah. The official further said that incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site.
In the wake of the operation, the authorities suspended class work in various educational institutions in Sopore on Friday.
Additional Deputy Commissioner, Sopore Shabir Ahmad Raina told Kashmir Despatch that as a precautionary measure, class work in all schools and colleges was suspended for Friday in the entire Tehsil.
Pertinently, Sopore once used to be hotbed of militancy witnessed this anti-militancy operation after the gap of more than one year.
The last encounter was witnessed on June 2023 when two terrorists belonging to Lashkar-i-Toiba were killed in Tulibal area of Sopore.
This was second Gunfight since past 48 hours in northern region of Kashmir.
Earlier this week militants and security forces exchanged fire for a brief period in Bandipora district of north Kashmir that left two soldiers wounded, however, the massive combing operation to trace the militants in the forest area of Bandipora continues on Friday.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
