Two Hizb militants killed in Kishtwar: Police

JAMMU — Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday said that the two militants who had killed a Special Police Officer (SPO) and injured another one, were killed in a brief gunfight in Dachen forest range of Kishtwar district.

Police said the two militants were involved in attacking two SPOs with axes four days ago and that they had fled towards Dachen forests where they were hiding. One of the injured SPO Pashid Iqbal had succumbed to his injuries while another one is battling for life.

In a statement issued here, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that two militants of Hizb ul Mujahadin namely Basharat Hussain son of Ghulam Qadir Gainoo and Ashiq Hussain son of Bashir Ahmed, both residents of village Tander, Dachhan were involved in the attack and had fled from spot after the action.

“Immediately after the attack, an operation was launched in Tander area by the Police, Army and the CRPF to nab the attackers,” police said, adding that DIG Doda and senior officers of Army camped at Kishtwar to supervise the operation.

“After meticulous search and painstaking efforts for three continuous days, the search party zeroed in on village Saunder in a nallah. After observing the movement of forces, the hiding militants fired at the search party and in the retaliatory action, both the militants were killed,” police said. It said that one AK 74 Rifle and one INSAS rifle was recovered from the slain militants.

Police said that with the timely and sustained effort, an attempt by the Hizbul Mujahideen to revive militant activities in the Dachan and Marwah areas of Kishtwar have been foiled.