Two terrorists have been killed in an encounter underway in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district - at Nawapora in Mir Bazar - the police tweeted Wednesday evening. "Encounter has started at Nawapora, Mir Bazar in Kulgam district. Police and security forces are on the job."
The two neutralised terrorists have been identified as local members of proscribed terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba, Kashmir Zone Police said. Police also said the encounter is ‘very close’ to a route used in the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.
Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK 47 rifle and a pistol was recovered from the site of encounter, police added.
Earlier in the day J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha invited political leaders for a meeting to discuss security in the UT, especially ahead of the yatra.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier in the day J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha invited political leaders for a meeting to discuss security in the UT, especially ahead of the yatra.
{{/usCountry}}The National Conference's Farooq Abdullah, the People's Democratic Party's Mehbooba Mufti, the People's Conference Sajjad Lone, the Bharatiya Janata Party's Ravinder Raina, the Apni Party's Altaf Bukhari and others were invited.
READ: J&K LG invites top leaders for meeting ahead of Amarnath yatra
A three-tier security system is in place across J&K for the peaceful conduct of the yatra, which is taking place for the first time after two years. Vijay Kumar, the inspector-general of police for Kashmir, highlighted the imminent threat from terrorists.
READ: Three-tier security in place across J&K for Amarnath Yatra
Today's encounter comes after two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Trubji area of Kulgam on Monday.
Earlier the same day security forces killed one unidentified terrorist in an encounter in the Tulibal area of Sopore town in Baramulla district.
J&K Police last week 118 terrorists have been killed in the Kashmir Valley this year and that 32 of them were foreign terrorists. Further, of the 118, 77 were from Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Taiba and 26 from Jaish-e-Mohammed.
"Last year 55 terrorists, including 2 foreign terrorists, were killed in the same period," Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.
With input from ANI