By News Agency of Kashmir
Kishtwar: Police and army claimed to have gunned down four Lashker-e-Toiba militants, including one of its commanders, in a joint encounter at Kaishwan forest area of Kishtwar, this morning. However, contrary to the claims of the police, locals said that two of them were civilians.
Defence Spokesman Col Goswami told News Agency of Kashmir that Troops of 63 Rashtriya Rifles (Bihar) under the aegis of 9 Sector Rashtriya Rifles of Delta Force in a joint operation with Jammu and Kashmir Police gunned down four militants in general area Trinnar Nalla, West of Kishtwar.
According to police, a search and destroy operation was launched in the area after receiving of intelligence inputs tipped about presence of some foreign militants.
The militants were asked to surrender before the police but they refused to lay down the weapon. In the ensuing encounter, which lasted for three hours, four LeT militants were gunned down, the spokesman said adding, Lal Din district divisional commander of LeT was among the four men killed in the encounter.
The slain militants have been identified as Laldin Gujjar, Umardin, Gulam Kadir and Kashmiri.
One AK 56 Rifle, one 303 Rifle, one Chinese hand grenade, one Radio Set Kenwood and assorted ammunitions were recovered from the slain militants.
However, contrary to the claims of the police and army, locals alleged that two of the slain persons were civilians and were killed on suspicious grounds. The bodies of the two civilians were shifted to Kishtwar hospital, where their identification was being ascertained, a local resident said.