J&K: Baramulla declared first militant free district in Kashmir after 3 terrorists killed in encounter

The war on terror in Jammu and Kashmir achieved one of its biggest successes on Wednesday when Baramulla became the first district with no surviving militant in Kashmir valley. This follows the killing of three last surviving militants of the district in Binner village on Wednesday.

"Baramulla has become the first district of Kashmir with no surviving militant as on date. J&K Police extends its thanks to the local population for all their support in providing a better security environment in the district", said a police spokesman.

Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh complimented police personnel for their successes. He said that he expected further consolidation of peacebuilding efforts together by police and public.

"Kashmir needs peace so that its people could have its dividends for better tomorrow", said the spokesman.

Earlier in the day, security forces launched the operation on specific information about the presence of three militants in Binner area, a few kilometers away from Baramulla town.

The slain militants were identified as Suhaib Farooq Akhoon, Mohsin Mushtaq and Nasir Ahmad Darzi, all belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Police said all the three killed terrorists were active in Baramulla and Sopore areas and had a long history of terror crime records for which several terror cases were registered against them.

"They were involved in the gruesome killing of three young boys in Baramulla in April 2018.  One terrorist Ajaz Ahmad Gojri, who was part of the group involved in the killing of three youth, has been arrested earlier", said the spokesman.

Police said the three were also involved in conspiring and executing several terror attacks on security establishments in the area including grenade attacks on Police Station Baramulla in December 2017 and January  2018.

"Terrorists were provided with ample opportunity to surrender however they fired on the security forces from their hideout leading to the exchange of fire in which all the three terrorists got killed. Pertinently due to the efforts of security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the encounter", he said.

Arms and ammunition including 3 AK 47 rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other terror cases.