Five militants were killed in two separate gunfights with security forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday and police said one of the deceased militant Mukhtar Shah R/o Ganderbal was involved in the targeted killing of non-local vendor Virender Paswan at Lal Bazar area of Srinagar last week.
“At about 6 pm yesterday, acting on specific inputs provided by Police about presence of terrorists in villages Tulran & Feeripora of Shopian, Police along with 34RR and CRPF launched joint cordon and search operations in the said areas,” a police spokesman.
He said during the search operation at Tulran, “as the presence of terrorists got ascertained, they were given repeated opportunities to surrender; instead they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. However due to darkness the operation was suspended, while the cordon was kept intact. In the wee hours, repeated announcements were again made to the hiding terrorists to surrender, but the terrorists again fired on joint search party and the fire was retaliated”.
“In the ensuing encounter, three terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” the spokesman said.
The deceased were identified as Danish Hussain Dar resident of Ray Kapren Shopian, Yawar Hussain Naikoo resident of Pahlipora and Mukhtar Ahmed Shah resident of Sindbal, Ganderbal.
The police spokesman said the deceased belonged to LeT (TRF) and remained part of groups involved in several militancy incidents including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities.
“Mukhtar was involved in target killing of a non-local vendor in Lal Bazar area of Srinagar and shifted to Shopian after committing the incident,” he said.
Meanwhile, search operation at Feeripora, Shopian also remained suspended throughout night and resumed in the wee hours.
“At about 1000hrs, contact was established with the hiding terrorists and they were given ample opportunities to surrender. However, they started firing indiscriminately at the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” the spokesman said.
He said in ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
The deceased were identified as Ubaid Ahmad Dar resident of Ray Kapren and Khubaib Ahmad Nengroo resident of Braripora.
Police said two cases out of 4 recent cases of target killings in Srinagar and Bandipora stand solved by the elimination of the involved militants.