Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists gunned down by security forces in Srinagar's Nawakadal; arms and ammunition seized

The security forces on Tuesday killed two Hizbul terrorists in a fierce gunbattle in downtown Srinagar which began last night.

SRINAGAR: The security forces on Tuesday killed two terrorists in an encounter in Nawakadal in downtown Srinagar which began last night. The two slain terrorists were found to be associated with the Pakistan-backed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Two automatic weapons and ammunition were also recovered from them, the Jammu & Kashmir Police said.

Two security forces personnel were earlier injured in the encounter with the terrorists in the Nawakadal area, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had confirmed on Tuesday. The encounter began after security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area following inputs about the presence of terrorists there.

A CRPP jawan and a Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel were injured in the firing by the terrorists.

The encounter began around 2 am and there was a lull in firing for about five hours after that. A fresh contact was established with the terrorists around 8 am, the police said.

The official said mobile internet and mobile telephony services, except on BSNL postpaid, have been snapped in the city as a precautionary measure.

Earlier, Kashmir Zone Police, on its official Twitter handle, said, "#Encounter has started at #Kanemazar #Nawakadal area of #Srinagar. JKP and CRPF are on the job. Further details shall follow."

Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen has suffered most losses in this year's anti-terror operations, according to the official figures. Of the total 69 terrorists killed so far, 22 belonged to Hizbul, which included some of the top commanders of the terror outfit. 

As per the data available, in the rapid anti-terror operations launched by Jammu and Kashmir's security grid in Kashmir this year, the terror outfits suffered a major blow as it lost its 22 terrorists, with latest being Riyaz Naikoo. 

The month of April turned out to be extremely deadly for these terrorists. A data compiled by the Jammu and Kashmir Police stated that a total of 69 terrorists, associated with various outfits, have been killed in Kashmir since January 2020 in the anti-terror operations launched by security agencies. 

Of the 69 terrorists, identification of 20 could not be done. It is believed that at least 20 foreign terrorists, who managed to sneak into this side of the Line of Control early last year, were eliminated by security forces in various encounter operations.

Out of the total 69 terrorists, 18 died in the Jammu region while 47 were killed in Kashmir. The official record states that all 20 local terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, six of Lashkar-e-Toiba, 11 of Jaish-e-Mohammad, 3 of Ansar Gazwat and three of Islamic State were neutralised by security forces. 

Last week, Hizbul suffered a blow when its top commander Riyaz Naikoo was killed during an encounter by Indian forces in Handwara's Beighpora village.