Drabgam encounter leaves two militants dead
Thousands participate in last rites
Pulwama: Two local militants who were affiliated with Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) were killed in an encounter that raged between forces and militants in Drabgam village on Thursday evening.
The slain militants were identified as Shahid Baba, son of late Mushtaq Ahmed Baba of Baba MohallaDrabgam and Anayat Ahmad Ziger, son of Mohammad Abdullah Ziger of AstanMohallaArihalPulwama, who had joined ranks just few days ago.
Earlier, on Thursday evening, on specific inputs about the presence of militants, forces including 44 RR cordoned off Baba MohallaDrabgam. As per the locals, a siege was laid at around 7 am in the evening and there was no exchange of fire till 11:30 pm.
“On intensifying search operation towards the suspected spot, militants hiding in the house of Khalid Ahmad Nengroo fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered an encounter,” said an official, adding that two local militants were killed, among them one had joined ranks just few days back.
During the encounter, two houses belonging to Khalid Ahmad Nengroo and Bashir Ahmad Bhat got damaged, locals said.
The dead bodies of two slain militants were handed over to their relatives on Friday morning, an official said.
Shahid according to his relatives had joined militant ranks in Feb 2018. “He was never arrested before he joined militant ranks. His father was killed by unidentified gunmen 15 years before,” they said.
Shahid who was a B.A student at Government Degree College Pulwama before joining the militant ranks is survived by two brothers and grandparents besides his widow mother.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in multiple funeral prayers of slain militants in Drabgam and Arihal
Both were laid to rest in their native villages after Friday prayers amid pro-freedom and pro-militant slogans, locals said.
In wake of the gunfight, mobile internet services were also snapped in Pulwama and Shopian districts of South Kashmir.
Moreover, a complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama district against militant killings.
Eyewitnesses said that all shops and business establishments remained closed in the area while as traffic movement was also off the roads.
KV News
