Top JeM commander among two militants killed in Shopian
Shopian: Two militants were killed in a brief shootout with government forces in Gahind area of South Kashmir Shopian district on Saturday morning.
An official said that a joint of army’s 34RR and SOG launched a cordon and search operation in an orchard at Gahind area of Shopian following credible inputs about the presence of some militants in the area.
The official said that soon after the joint team of forces arrived in the area, the militants opened indiscriminate fire which was retaliated leading to a brief shootout.
During the gunfight two militants have been killed and who were identified as Shah- e-Jan Mir of Amshipora Shopian and Aabid Ahmad Wagay of Rawalpora Shopian. Both were associated with Jaish outfit, he further added.
The two slain militants killed in an encounter at Gehind area of Shopian have been identified as Abid Wagay resident of Rawalpora Shopian and Shahjahan Mir resident of Amshepora Shopian, a police spokesman said here.
According to the police records, both the slain were affiliated with proscribed outfit JeM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilians, he said.
The spokesman said that both the killed militants Abid Wagay and Shahjahan Mir were involved in the abduction and subsequent killings of civilians Firdous Ahmad of Batgund and Nissar Ahmad of Kapran and policeman Balwant Singh of Batgund last year in 2018. They were also involved in the killing of Khusboo Jan at Viel Shopian earlier this year. Moreover, both were also involved in killing of a civilian Tanveer Ahmad of Bemnipora at Kachdoora in Shopian. Both of them were also involved in arson and setting ablaze of Panchayat Ghars at Kanjiullar and Ramnagar, the spokesman added.
He said that as per the police records, Shahjahan was also involved in snatching of weapons and killing of four police personnel at Arhama Shopian near petrol pump last year in 2018.
“He was also involved in attack on Police Station Shopian in which one cop Saqib Mohi-ud-Din was killed and his rifle was also snatched. He was involved in the abduction and killing of a young boy Huzaif Ashraf Kuttay resident of Manzgam D.H Pora,” the spokesman added.
He said that several crime cases were registered against both of them for planning and executing attacks on security establishments and killing of civilians in the area.
Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crime cases, the spokesman added.
Meanwhile, soon after the news of killing of militants spread in the area, youth took to streets and started pelting stones on government forces near the encounter site and other parts of the districts, eyewitnesses said.
The government forces retaliated by firing smoke tear shells and pellet firing which resulted in injuries to several people, they said.
Sources within health department said that they received over two dozen youth with injuries however, all of them are stable.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in funeral prayers of the slain militants in Rawalpora and Amshipora.
At the native villages of both slain militants, militants appeared at their funerals and offered gun salute to their colleagues, sources said.
They said that thousands of people including women and children participated in their multiple funerals and both were laid to rest amid massive pro freedom sloganeering.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown was observed in the area against militant killing and internet services were also snapped in the district in wake of the gunfight.
Shah-e-Jahan alias Umar Khitab according to records had joined militant ranks in September 2017.
Belonging to a middle class family Shah-e-Jahan according to his friends was a Hafiz e Quran (memorized whole Quran) before joining the militant ranks.
He was arrested once before joining the militant ranks and is survived by a brother, two sisters and parents, they said.
His mother according to them is not keeping in good health.
Aabid Ahmad Wagay son of late Abdul Hameed Wagay, was working in fruit Mandi Shopian after passing his 12th class. He had joined militant ranks in September 2018.
He was never arrested before joining ranks and is survived by his mother and two brothers.
Jahangeer Ganaie
