Two Militants Neutralized in Pulwama Encounter, J&K

On Monday, two militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, as confirmed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Although the police did not officially identify the deceased, sources indicated that the militants were associated with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

Among them was a long-wanted individual who had been under surveillance by security forces. Sources identified the trapped militants as Riyaz Ahmad Dar and Rayees Ahmad, both residents of Kakapora village in Pulwama. Riyaz Ahmad Dar had been active in militant activities since September 2015 and had previously evaded security operations multiple times. Rayees Ahmad had joined the militant ranks in 2021.

The J&K Police, in a post on X, stated, “Bodies of 2 terrorists killed in the anti-terrorist operation recovered so far. Identity and affiliation being ascertained.”The encounter began on Monday morning when a joint team of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army, and paramilitary forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Pulwama’s Nehama village following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants. As the security forces closed in on their target, the militants opened fire in an attempt to break the cordon. The joint team retaliated, leading to an intermittent exchange of gunfire.

During the gunfight, two houses caught fire as the security forces used heavy weaponry to neutralize the militant hideout. The operation concluded with the elimination of the two militants.

Author:- Apoorva Arora