39 LeT terrorists among 62 ultras killed so far in Kashmir this year: IGP

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar April 28

The survival rate of militants in Kashmir has decreased as security forces killed 62 militants this year which has seen a spike in targeted attacks on non-local labourers.

The majority of the militants killed this year belonged to the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit, said Inspector General of police Vijay Kumar.

Kumar attributed the success of security forces against militants to enhanced human and technical intelligence.

“Due to enhanced Humint Techint and focused operations, the surviving rate of militants is drastically decreasing. Out of 62 militants killed so far in the current year, 32 militants got neutralised within just three months of their joining militant ranks,” Kumar said.

Of the 62 slain militants, he said, 47 were local and 15 were foreign militants.

Giving a break-up of their affiliation with the militant outfits, he said 39 belonged to the LeT, 15 to Jaish-e-Muhammad, six to Hizbul Mujahideen, and two to Al-Badr.

The two Al-Badr militants, Aijaz Hafiz and Shahid Ayub were killed and an Army soldier wounded in an overnight encounter in Pulwama that started on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said two AK assault rifles were recovered from them.

They had been involved in a series of attacks on outside labourers in Pulwama in the month of March-April, he said.

In April, six non-local workers have been attacked by the militants in south Kashmir.