The encounter in Baramulla started today morning after security forces cordoned off the village and started a search operation for terrorists hiding in a residential area.
An army soldier and a terrorist were killed during a fierce gun battle at Ladoora village in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir that lasted nearly nine hours. The encounter started today morning after security forces cordoned off the village and started a search operation for terrorists hiding in a residential area.
Police say the joint operation with army was launched following a tip off about presence of terrorists in the area. As the security forces zeroed in the cordon, they came under heavy fire from the holed up terrorist.
The terrorist has been identified as Reyaz Ahmad, a resident of Sopore in North Kashmir.
Police sources say that Reyaz was a member of the breakaway faction of the terror group, Hizbul Mujahideen that is responsible for attacks on mobile phone towers, and killing of several civilians including separatists and former militants in the area.
Police sources say that they tried to persuade the trapped terrorist to surrender, but he refused and fired on them instead. When the final assault party was sent to blow up the house where he had taken shelter, the terrorist resorted to indiscriminate firing and killed an army soldier, said sources.
This was the second major encounter in the area in last one week. Earlier three terrorists were killed, and a Pakistani terrorist was captured alive in Rafiabad forest area.