Three LeT militants killed in encounter J-K's Baramulla

Three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, taking the number of ultras killed in the valley in the past 24 hours to five, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Pethseer in Sopore area late on Monday night, following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter early on Tuesday as the militants opened fire at the security forces positions. Three ultras were killed in the exchange of firing with security forces, the official said.

"The slain terrorists were identified as Faisal Fayaz, Rameez Ahmad Ganaie (both residents of Shopian) and Ghulam Mustafa Sheikh, a resident of Tekipura in Kupwara district," he said.

The official said the trio was affiliated with The Resistance Force (TRF), a shadow outfit of LeT.

The self-styled chief of TRF, Abbas Sheikh, and his deputy Saqib Manzoor were killed in a brief shootout in Aoochi Bagh area of the city on Monday. This takes the number of TRF ultras killed by security forces in the past 24 hours to five.

"As per police records, the killed terrorists were part of groups involved in several terror crime cases, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities," a police spokesperson said He said incriminating material, arms and ammunition, including one AK-47 rifle and two pistols, were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar said the total number of ultras killed this year has crossed 100.

"Today, by the collective efforts of @JmuKmrPolice, @ChinarcorpsIA, @crpfindia and people of #Kashmir have led to #neutralisation of more than 100 #terrorists in the year of 2021 so far in Kashmir division," Kumar said in a tweet.