2 LeT terrorists killed in encounter in Pulwama

A M Sofi
Srinagar, Jan 8 (PTI) Two LeT terrorists, wanted in
connection with last year's bomb blast outside the central
jail here, were gunned down in Pulwama district of south
Kashmir in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir
Friday in the second encounter in three days.
The militants, identified as Altaf and Zahoor, were
killed in a four-hour gunbattle with security forces at
village Andoosa, 30 kms from here, Director General of Police
Kuldeep Khoda said.
Two Ak assault rifles, four magazines and some live
rounds were recovered from them, Superintendent of Police
(SP), Awantipora, Bashir Ahmad Khan, who supervised the
operation, told PTI.
He said a joint search party of Police, Special
Operations Group (SOG), Rashtriya Rifles and Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF) cordoned Andoosa village in the wee hours
following specific information about the presence of the two
hardcore militants.
"The ultras fired on the search party around 9 AM but the
operation was briefly suspended to evacuate the civilians.
After the evacuation of civilians was completed, the ultras
hiding in a house were asked to surrender but they opened fire
and in the ensuing gunbattle got killed," the SP said.
Describing killing of the duo as a "major breakthrough",
Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Farooq Ahmad said Altaf
was wanted in connection with the car bomb blast outside
Srinagar Central Jail on September 12 last year which left
three policemen and a woman dead and several others injured.
He was also involved in the killing of two policemen at
Kadalbal in Pampore area of Pulwama on December 22, Ahmad
said. More PTI