KV Correspondent

Four militants killed in two encounters

Four militants killed in two encounters
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Jehangeer Ganaie, Bilal Ahmad

Pulwama/Sopore: Four militants, including the one who was part of a group of ultras involved in the killing of Army jawan Aurangzeb last year, were Saturday killed in two separate encounters in Pulwama and Baramulla districts, police said.
While three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants were killed in a pre-dawn operation by security forces in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, another militant was killed in Sopore town of Baramulla, a police spokesman said.
He said based on a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched by police and security forces in the early hours of Saturday in the Panzgam area of Awantipora in Pulwama.
During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party of the forces, who retaliated, leading to an encounter, he said.
In the ensuing encounter, the spokesman said, three militants were killed.
He said they have been identified as Showkat Dar of Panzgam, Irfan War of Wadoora Payeen, Sopore, and Muzaffar Sheikh of Tahab, Pulwama.
“All the three killed militants, according to the police records, were affiliated with proscribed outfit HM. They were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several crime cases were registered against them,” he said.
As per police records, the spokesman said, Dar had a long history of militant crime records.
“He was involved in planning and executing series of attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. He was part of a group involved in the killing of Army jawan Aurangzeb in 2018. He was also involved in the killing of a policeman Aqib Ahmad Wagay last year. Several terror crime cases were registered against him,” he said.
Aurangzeb was abducted and later killed by militants in Pulwama in June last year while he was on his way to home in Poonch for celebrating Eid.
Notably, during the gunfight one house suffered massive damage while as five other houses suffered minor damage, locals said.
Meanwhile, as per locals clashes also erupted in the area, in which several youth received minor injuries.
Internet services were also snapped as a precautionary measure in Police District Awantipora, an official said.
Witnesses said that thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of slain militants in Panzgam and Tahab area of Pulwama district.
Eyewitnesses said that thousands of people participated in funerals of slain Showkat at higher secondary school ground Panzgam.
People were chanting pro freedom and pro militant slogans, they said.
Similarly in Tahab, thousands of people participated in funerals of slain Muzaffar which were held in locals school ground.
Locals said that clashes also erupted in the area as youth pelted stones on government forces which was retaliated by smoke tear and sound shells.
Showkat according to locals had joined militant ranks in year 2010 however, he was arrested at Kakapora in 2011, his family members said.
He was released after spending five years in jail and he again joined militant ranks in September 2016, they added.
Showkat was a student of B.A 1st year when he joined militant ranks in 2010, they said while adding that he has left behind three brothers and three sisters besides his parents.
Muzaffar according to his family had left home on 22nd April last year.
Muzaffar was arrested for snatching of a rifle from a policeman in main town Pulwama and he was released after 6 months.
Before joining militant ranks Muzaffar was working in a bakery shop at Pulwama and later he was working in Poultry farm, they said
Belonging to middle class family, Muzaffar joined militant ranks 15 months after his marriage and is survived by his wife, two brothers and his parents.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said that the third militant Irfan War was part of militant groups responsible for conspiring and executing attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities in the area.
“Accordingly, militant crime cases were registered against him (War),” he said.
“Similarly, Sheikh, as per police records, was also involved in several militant attacks on security establishments in the area. Several criminal cases were registered against him for militant activities,” he added.
Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of the encounter, the spokesman said.
Police have registered a case and the material has been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation, he added.
The spokesman said with the efforts of police and security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the encounter.
In another anti-militancy operation, the spokesman said, a cordon and search operation was launched by security forces in the Hathlangoo area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
During the search operation, militants fired upon the forces, triggering an encounter, he said.
One militant was killed in the gun battle, he added.
He was later identified as Waseem Ahmad Naik son of Abdul Ghani of Udipora Barsoo Awantipora in South Kashmir, a police official said.
He said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of the encounter.
Pertinently, during the gunfight minor clashes erupted between youth and the deployed forces.
Witnesses said that a group of youth started pelting stones on forces near the encounter site. The forces retaliate by lobbing scores of tear smoke shells to disperse the protestors. Meanwhile, authorities suspended internet services in Sopore town as a precautionary measure in wake of the encounter.


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