Zabarwan, Rajpora encounters end

Srinagar, Nov 10: Taking advantage of the dense forests and rugged area, the terrorists trapped in Zabarwan forests in Srinagar outskirts managed to escape after a brief exchange of fire, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi said Sunday.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, the IGP Kashmir said that after a brief exchange of fire at the spot, the terrorists managed to escape from the encounter site.

“The contact was established with the hiding terrorists. However, after a brief exchange of fire, there was no response from the other side and it seems they have managed to escape from the spot, taking advantage of the dense forests. It was a rugged area," he said.

The IGP Kashmir said that the operation was closed after carrying out searches in the area for a long time.

Earlier, a gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in the Zabarwan forests in Srinagar on Sunday morning.

Two to three militants were believed to be trapped in the area.

A top Police officer said that a joint team of security forces launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

A joint operation was launched by the Army and Police during late night hours and contact was established on Sunday morning.

“Two to three foreign terrorists are trapped, and heavy firing is going on,” a Police said.

The gunfight which started early Sunday morning ended in the early afternoon as the firing stopped on the encounter spot.

“After the firing stopped, a search operation was launched to track the hiding terrorists. But, no body was recovered from the encounter site,” the Police official said. It was the second encounter in less than 24 hours in Kashmir.

On Saturday evening, a foreign terrorist was killed after a gunfight broke out in Rajpora forests on the outskirts of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The IGP said that the Rajpora operation was also called off after carrying out searches in the Rajpora forests. “The encounter ended on Saturday evening but searches were launched in the forests on Sunday morning. But later, the operation was closed,” the IGP Kashmir said.

On Sunday morning, Police in Sopore urged the media to refrain from going near the encounter spot as there were apprehensions about presence of more terrorists.

However, the restrictions were lifted after the searches were concluded in the Rajpora forests and the operation was called off.