2 TRF militants involved in recent civilian killings shot dead

Security forces near encounter site at Wahibugh in Pulwama district on Friday. -Excelsior/Younis Khaliq
Security forces near encounter site at Wahibugh in Pulwama district on Friday. -Excelsior/Younis Khaliq

Major success for security forces in Kashmir

Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 15 : In a major success for the security forces in Kashmir, two TRF militants were killed in two separate encounters in Pulwama and Srinagar districts. They were involved in the killing of a civilian and Probationary Sub-Inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Click here to watch video
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that after the recent civilian killings, a major offensive was launched against the militants in the Valley during which 11 militants were killed in 8 counter-insurgency operations. He said that Srinagar has still three militants and security forces will track them down and neutralise them soon.
On a specific input, police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in village Wahibugh area of Pulwama district this morning.

Security personnel during encounter at Bemina in Srinagar on Friday. -Excelsior/Shakeel
Security personnel during encounter at Bemina in Srinagar on Friday. -Excelsior/Shakeel

“During the search operation, when the suspected house where the militant was hiding, was zeroed-in, repeated offers of surrender were made. But the militant fired indiscriminately at the forces triggering a gun-battle,” he said.
“In the ensuing encounter, one militant identified as Shahid Bashir Sheikh, resident of Habba Kadal, Srinagar was killed and his body retrieved from the site of encounter. We have recovered an AK-47 rifle from the slain militant,” police said. Sheikh had joined militancy recently and was linked with Lashkar-e-Toiba (TRF).
The IGP said that Shahid was involved in the killing of civilian and PDD employee Muhammad Shafi Dar of Batamaloo, Srinagar.
Another gun battle which took place in Batamaloo area of Srinagar where based on a specific input by police about the presence of a militant at Hamdaniya Colony Bemina area of Srinagar. An operation was launched by the police.
“During the search operation, the hiding militant was asked to surrender but he fired at the forces triggering an encounter. In the ensuing encounter, one militant identified as Tanzeel Ahmed, a resident of Haba Kadal, Srinagar was killed”, police said.
The IGP said that the slain Tanzeel was involved in the killing of Probationary Sub Inspector Arshid Ashraf at Khanyar, Srinagar on September 12.
Kumar said that Shahid and Tanzil were also “collaborators in recent killings of a chemist and two teachers in the city.”
He said that after recent civilian killings, Srinagar based militants had shifted to South Kashmir “but we continued to track their movements and managed to zero in on them today.”
“Now only three militants are active as two have been killed today. We are after the remaining three and will soon get them,” the IGP said, both the encounters took place within a span of three hours. “Both operations are over and two-AK-47 rifles have been recovered from the two slain militants,” he added.
Police said that a militant associate of outfit TRF was arrested by security forces in Kharchak Kreeri in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district today.
Police said that a Joint parties of Baramulla Police, Army 29 RR and 176 Bn CRPF arrested one OGW of TRF outfit namely Gulzar Ahmad Malla son of Mohd Gulab Malla resident of Boniyar Baramulla at Kharchak Kreeri. Two hand grenades were also recovered from his possession.
“A case under sections of Indian Arms Act and UA(P) Act stands registered against them in Police Station Kreeri and investigation set in motion”, police said.