Two Pakistan terrorists killed in North Kashmir

SRINAGAR: Two Pakistani terrorists were killed in separate security operations Wednesday in north Kashmir — one at Ketson in Bandipora and another in Kupwara’s Lolab area . An M4 carbine was found near the slain terrorist in Bandipora. “The forces found an AK-47 rifle, two hand grenades, and four magazines after shooting dead a terrorist in the Kupwara gunfight,” an official said.

Both seek-and-kill operations were part of an intensified crackdown on terrorists following an uptick in attacks across Kashmir valley — including the murder of seven tunnel construction workers in Ganderbal on Oct 20 — since an elected govt took office in J&K after six years last month.

The security sweep has led to seven fatalities among terrorists so far, including two in Bandipora on Nov 5, Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Usman from Pakistan in Srinagar on Nov 2, and another two in Anantnag the same day. However, terrorists retaliated with a grenade attack on Nov 3, wounding 12 people in a busy Srinagar market.

Officials said security forces were on the hunt since a group of terrorists engaged a search party in a brief gunfight and escaped deep inside Panar forest in Bandipora on Nov 1. The slain terrorist at Ketson is believed to be from the same group.