J&K: Terrorist gunned down in Ananthnag

Srinagar, June 08: The security forces on Saturday gunned down a terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir's Ananthnag, said reports.

The gunbattle broke out in Verinag area of Ananthnag district this morning. Search operation has now been launched to ascertain if there are anymore terrorists in the region.

This comes a day after security forces killed four terrorists in South Kashmir's Pulwama. Out of the four slayed, two were ex-cops who had joined notorious terror group JeM or Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Four bodies, two AK 47 rifles, one AKM (Modernized Kalashnikov Automatic Rifle) and one self-loading rifle (SLR) were also recovered by the troops in the gunbattle that had broken out in Lassipora on Thursday.

On June 3, one terrorist was killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and terrorists in Molu-Chitragam area of Shopian.

Over 100 terrorists, including 23 foreigners, have been killed in Kashmir in the first five months of 2019, but what is keeping the security establishment worried is the large number of new recruits.

50 youngsters have joined various terror outfits since March and the security establishment needs to find a better way to cut off the supply chain and can even consider educating families on radicalisation of the youth. The officials said 101 terrorists -- 23 foreigners and 78 local -- were killed in 2019 till May 31. They include top commanders such as Zakir Musa, the chief of so-called Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.