Militants kill Ikhwan comdr turned soldier

Body of TA jawan being taken for burial at village Shurat in Kulgam district on Monday. -Excelsior/Sajad Dar
Body of TA jawan being taken for burial at village Shurat in Kulgam district on Monday. -Excelsior/Sajad Dar

4 Panchayat Ghars torched, shutdown disrupts life

Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, Sept 17: Militants today shot dead a former counter-insurgent Ikhwan commander turned army man, Mukhtar Ahmad Malik, in a village in South Kashmir district of Kulgam while shutdown called by separatists disrupted normal life in Kashmir.
Mukhtar, a resident of Shurat in Kulgam district, was shot by militants outside his house this morning. A group of militants fired at him outside his house from close range. The militants fled away from the spot leaving him in a pool of blood. He was removed to hospital for treatment where doctors declared him as brought dead.
Sources said that a group of four militants were waiting for him outside his home and shot at him before fleeing from the spot. Click here to watch video
Security forces immediately reached the spot and launched an operation against the militants responsible for his killing.
Malik, a known Ikhwan commander, during 1990s was operating under the code-name of Mukhtar Goula. He was later recruited by the army and given a berth in the Territorial Army. He was serving with 162 battalion of Territorial Army and was posted outside the State for all these years.
Police said Malik son of Adil Mukhtar Malik, was killed in a road accident in Kulgam on Friday. Malik had come home to mourn his son’s death. It was his third day at home. Malik is survived by another son, who is a student, wife, parents and a brother. His brother is a carpenter.
Police said they have registered a case and launched investigation.
And unidentified persons last night set ablaze a Panchayat Ghar in Tral area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The incident coincides with the announcement of Panchayat elections to be held in nine phases from next month.
The Panchayat Ghar was set ablaze by unidentified persons at Seer Jagier area of Tral late last night, as a result of which some windows of the Panchayat Ghar got damaged.
A case under number 87/2018 under Section 436 RPC has been lodged and further investigations were taken up.
Another Panchayat Ghar was set ablaze at village Nazneen Pora in district Shopian of South Kashmir tonight. The building suffered minor damage in the fire.
Unidentified persons also set ablaze Panchayat Ghar at village Drubgam in district Pulwama of South Kashmir tonight. The building suffered minor damage in the fire, which was put off by locals. Police and Army reached the spot and were looking for the accused.
Yet another under construction Panchayat Ghar was set afire at Nagbal, Tral in Pulwama district. It suffered minor damage in the fire.
And Kashmir valley today observed shutdown against the killing of a civilian and four militants in South Kashmir.
All the shops, business establishments and educational institutions across Kashmir were closed. Traffic was off the roads in Civil Lines and uptown Srinagar though few private vehicles, besides cabs and three-wheelers, could be seen plying on some routes.
The shutdown call was given by separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik against the killing of a civilian and four militants in Chowgam area of South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
The train services across Kashmir was suspended on both Srinagar to Baramulla and Srinagar to Banihal tracks as precautionary measures.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here