Srinagar, Jan 04 (KNO): The year 2022 has started with encounters in Kashmir as the first four days of the New Year have recorded a gunfight everyday resulting in the killing of five militants including top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander.
Figures available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), out of four gun-battles, Srinagar district witnessed two encounters in a span of just one hour while as Kupwara district in North Kashmir recorded one encounter and Kulgam district in South Kashmir also saw one encounter.
“On January 01, a non-local militant was killed in Keran sector of Kupwara district who was later identified by police as Muhammad Shabir Malik, a Pakistani national,” the figures reads, adding that “On January 03, LeT commander Saleem Parry of Hajin Bandipora who was active since 2016 was killed in Shalimar Srinagar.
Officials said that with Parry's killing, Hajin hamlet of Bandipora is now militancy free as no local militant from the area is active now.
The figures state that just an hour after killing of top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Muhammad Saleem Parray, another encounter broke out in Gusu area of Shalimar in which one non-local militant was killed.
“On 04 January, two militants namely Amir Ahmad Wani from Alamgunj Shopian and Sameer Ahmad khan from Tiken Pulwama were killed in Okay area of Kulgam,” the data reads.
Pertinently, 182 militants were killed in J&K in the year 2021 which includes 168 in Kashmir division. In the year-ender press conference in Srinagar, Inspector General of Police (IGP ) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that for the first time the number of active militants has come down to less than 200. He stated that 83 foreign militants were active in Kashmir and the number of locals was almost equal—(KNO)