Watch: Rebel killed in Pampore gunfight

Pampore: A rebel was killed in Pampore gunfight with forces in Ladhoo village of south Kashmir’s Pampore area on Sunday evening, police said.

A police official said that a joint team of Army’s 50 RR, 110 Bn CRPF and SOG Awantipora launched the operation after acting on a tip-off about presence of a group of rebels in an orchard in Ladoo.

“When we approached the orchard behind the Milk Factory, three militants fired on the forces party, leading to an encounter,” the police official said.

He said in the ensuing gun-battle which started at 5:05 pm and lasted for about 55 minutes, a rebel was killed who was later identified as Khubaib alias Abu Qasim of Punjab Pakistan.

Superintendent of Police, Awantipora, Shridhar Patil said militants continued to fire from a tin shed in the orchard and “as the firing stopped and we approached the tin shed, a body of militant was recovered. It is believed that two other rebels are hiding somewhere in nearby hillock which connects the orchards.”

“The Operation is not over; we are hopeful to get the remaining militants during the night,” he said.

A police official, who wished not be named, said it would be very difficult to get the remaining militants in case they would have successfully crossed over to the connecting forests of Tral.