The firefight started on Sunday evening and was called off for the night because of the darkness
On Monday, Jammu and Kashmir Police said two Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militants were killed in an overnight shootout in Gundipora village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
As per a tweet from the official handle of Kashmir Zone Police, two militants were killed in the firefight. It also claimed to have recovered two AK-47 rifles from the spot of the gunfight.
Pertinently, the firefight began on Sunday evening and was called off for the night owing to darkness. This morning, the gunfight resumed and ended after nearly 18 hours.
One of the slain militants killed ‘our unarmed colleague’, says IGP
Soon after the gunfight between the militants and a joint Police-Army team began, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar had said that two local JeM militants had been trapped. He also identified one of them as the killer of policeman Riyaz Ahmad Thoker.
“JeM militant Abid Shah had killed our unarmed colleague on 13/5/22,” the IGP had said in another tweet.
Thoker was shot at by suspected militants at his home in Gudoora village of the district on May 13. He was receiving treatment at a local hospital where he died of his injuries.
Meanwhile, few residential houses were damaged and people, including men, were seen weeping in the aftermath of the gunfight. However, no civilian casualties took place.
Police working on many fronts to prevent local militant recruitment
In a press brief on Monday, IGP Kashmir stated that police are working on a multi-pronged approach to dissuade youngsters from joining militancy.
He added that those who instigate and push youth into militancy are being penalised under the Public Safety Act (PSA).
IGP Kashmir stated that police had been successful in preventing youngsters from taking up guns to a noticeable extent. “To avoid local militant recruitment, we’re working on many fronts,” he added.
“The support of one’s parents is essential. Parents have played a critical role in the reintegration of a huge number of young people,” he said.
In addition, the top official said, security agencies were using technology to track new recruits and bring them back.