Militant killed in Awantipora encounter

Pulwama, Feb 07: A local militant was killed in an encounter between the forces and militants in Nambal area of Awantipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, officials said on Monday.

A senior police officer told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that an unidentified militant was killed while as search is on in the area.

Earlier, an official said that a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.

He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering a gunfight. “In the ensuing gunfight, one militant was killed,” the official said, adding that the slain has been identified as Irfan Ahmed Sheikh son of Abdur Rashid Sheikh, a resident of Karimabad, Pulwama. “He has been missing since January 17, 2022,” the official said.

It is pertinent to mention here that 23 militants have been killed in 14 encounters in Kashmir valley this year so far—(KNO)