Encounter in Kashmir’s Baramullah leaves 1 terrorist dead

An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours today in which one terrorist was killed.

The encounter occurred in the Haritar Tarzoo area of Baramullah. According to a Times Now report, an AK 47 rifle has been recovered even as search operations continue.

Security forces had laid an ambush at Haritar in Sopore during the intervening night following information about movement of militants through the area, a police official said, according to a PTI report. He said security forces on noticing suspicious movement in the wee hours challenged the persons who opened fire. ''In the retaliatory firing, one militant was killed. Further details are awaited,'' the official said.

A few days back, top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Abu Bakr was killed in an encounter between security forces and terrorist in Sopore. Following the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army last year, the number of such incidents has gone up. Recently, the Narendra Modi government had informed the Rajya Sabha that a total of 146 terrorists have been killed in 97 incidents of encounter between militants and the Indian security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

Sixty security force personnel were killed in such encounters. In 97 incidents of encounters in Jammu and Kashmir (till 2 December, 146 terrorists were killed, 76 terrorists or suspects arrested, while 60 security force personnel were killed and 104 others were injured, minister of state for home affairs Hansraj G Ahir said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.