Security Forces Avenge Killing Of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma, Gun Down Two Lashkar Terrorists In Shopian Encounter; Search Operation Underway

ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said one of the two slain terrorists was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit late Sanjay Sharma earlier this year in February.

SRINAGAR: In a major breakthrough, the security forces on Tuesday killed two local terrorists associated with the banned terror outfit Lashkar-E-Taiba during an encounter in Shopian. According to the Kashmir Police, one of the two slain terrorists, who has been identified as Abrar, was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma.

Calling the encounter a big success against the Pakistan-backed terrorists, the J&K Police said, "Two local terrorists affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed in the night-long anti-terror operation at Ashipora village of Shopian district in South Kashmir." 

Additional Director General of Police Kashmir Vijay Kumar confirmed the identities of the two slain terrorists as Morifat Maqbool and Jazim Farooq @ Abrar of LeT. He added that Abrar was involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit late Sanjay Sharma. Sanjay was killed earlier this year on February 23 outside his home in Achan village of Pulwama where he was working as an ATM security guard at Jammu And Kashmir Bank in its village branch. 

This is the third anti-terror operation held in South Kashmir in the past month with 6 terrorists being eliminated in those operations. Security forces have so far killed 54 terrorists this year, mostly foreigners. Last week on October 4, two terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen were neutralised by security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district. Both the terrorists were identified as Basit Amin Bhat of Frisal and Saqib Ahmad Lone of Hawoora, Kulgam and had a documented history of involvement in various terror-related activities.