Two terrorists gunned down in Shopian encounter, search ops underway

Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir), [India], Mar 22 (ANI): Security forces on Friday gunned down two terrorists, believed to be behind the killing of a woman Special Police Officer (SPO) six days back.
The terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Gadapora area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said.
The two killed terrorists have been identified as Showkat Ahmad Sheikh from Harmain Shopian and Yasir Ahmad Shah from Arhama Shopian.
Both the killed terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit JeM and were wanted by law for their complicity in several terror crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, as per police records.
Showkat Ahmad Sheikh was involved in the abduction and brutal killing of three police officials Nisar Ahmad Dhobi, Firdous Ahmad Kucchay and Kulwant Singh all residents of Shopian last year in 2018.
As per police records, he was also involved in attacks on PS Shopian in 2018 in which one police official Saqib Mohi-Ud-Din attained martyrdom. Several terror crime cases were registered against him.
“There were reports that two to three terrorists were trapped inside a house in the residential area. As the searches were going on, the hiding terrorists fired on the security forces. In the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were gunned down and their bodies have been retrieved from the encounter site,” the police said.
“Prima facie, this group was believed to be responsible for the killing of lady police official Khushboo Jan earlier this week in Shopian,” the police said.
After the encounter, some locals resorted to stone-pelting in the area in which a policeman and three civilians were injured.
“Police personnel Tariq Ahmad and three civilians, who sustained injuries during stone pelting, have been hospitalized for the treatment of their injuries and are said to be stable,” police said.
The encounter has ended and search operations are underway.
Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter, the police said.
Police have registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter. (ANI)