Militants on mission to attack Vaishno Devi gunned down

Nearly 50 policemen surrounded the militants hiding in a house and asked them to surrender at around 1.30 pm today. The militants lobbed two grenades at the police party, but no one was hurt, sources said. The policemen opened fire and an encounter started. The police party was joined by the Army and in the 40-minute gunbattle, both militants were killed.‘

‘The militants were earlier moving near Adhkunwari, on the route to the Vaishno Devi shrine, and had even asked some people about the route to Katra. They fled when security forces and police, following information about their movement, launched a joint operation in the area,’’ said J L Sharma, SSP Reasi.

The militants, sources said, were the same who had fled towards Trikuta Hills after lobbing a grenade at a private bus carrying 30 passengers near Sulla Park on January 11 last. The grenade missed the target and exploded in the park. When security forces and Katra police started combing Trikuta Hills, the militants fled to Anjhi Khad in Reasi tehsil, sources said. After coming to know about their presence, the Reasi police led by SDPO Pawan Parihar and SHO Daljeet Singh launched an operation under the supervision of SSP Reasi to flush them out, they added.

One of the slain militants has been identified as Mohammad Fareed alias Abu Zaffer, son of Ghulam Mohammad of Angralla village in Mahore, while the identity of the other militant was yet to be ascertained.