Two Hizbul militants killed in Awantipora encounter
Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, both close aides of outfit commander Riyaz Naikoo, were killed Thursday in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, police said.
“Based on a credible input about presence of militants at Sharshali in Awantipora area of Pulwama district, a cordon and search operation was launched swiftly by security forces in the early hours of Thursday,” a police official said.
The official said as the searches were going on, security forces were fired upon by militants. The fire was retaliated by security forces, leading to a gunfight.
“In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and the bodies retrieved from the site of encounter,” he said.
The slain militants have been identified as Adnan Ahmad Lone alias Uqaab and Adil Bilal Bhat alias Umair al Hizbi.
“Both of them were affiliated with proscribed outfit Hizbul Mujahideen,” the official said.
As per police records, Lone was self-styled district commander of Hizb for Pulwama.
“Lone was one of the top commanders of HM and had a long history of crime records since 2015. He was a close associate of Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo and had escaped from an encounter site in Srinagar earlier,” he said.
Both militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of militancy related crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities, the official said.
“Bhat, being a close associate of Riyaz Naikoo, was also involved in several militant crimes. Among other offences, he also figured in killing of Head Constable Ashiq Hussain at Awantipora in October 2017,” he said.
Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter, the official said.
KV News
