Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR Apr 28: Security forces today trapped the chief commander of Ansarul Gazwatul Hind (AGH) and his two associates in a village in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
An official said that chief commander of the AGH, Burhan Koka, and his two associates were trapped in Melhoora village of Zainapora in South Kashmir’s Shopian district by the security forces.
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The official said that on a specific input about the presence of militants in the village, security forces including 55 RR of Army and Shopian Police launched a cordon and search operation.
The hiding militants fired upon the troops leading to a gun battle that is going on. One militant is believed to have been killed in the encounter so far.
The intermittent firing was going on and a woman was injured in the gun battle. She has been removed to SMHS hospital for treatment. A soldier was also injured in the gun battle and he was shifted to hospital for treatment.
Sources said that a group of youth pelted stones on the security forces to hamper the operation against the militants. Security forces fired tear smoke and pellets to disperse them in which one youth was injured. He has been hit by pellets and removed to hospital for treatment.
The official said that cordon around the village has been tightened to prevent militants from fleeing the area. He said that the operation has been put on hold for the night and will be resumed in the morning.
The trapping of the AGH chief commander and his associates comes a day after three militants of The Resistance Front (TRF) were killed in an encounter in Lower Munda area of Qazigund in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
A day before yesterday one militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in an ongoing encounter in Kulgam district of South Kashmir.
Security forces have achieved major successes against the militants this year and so far at least 55 were killed in the operations.
The operations against militants continued even during past one month of lockdown and around two dozen militants were killed by the security forces during this period.
The killed militants included top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansarul Gazwatul Hind.
Army has also tightened its vigil along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in North Kashmir to foil infiltration attempts by the militants. Army has foiled a major infiltration bid in Kupwara sector recently in which five militants were shot dead. The operation lasted for several days during which Army also suffered five fatal casualties.
There have been frequent ceasefire violations along the LoC by Pakistan and Army says that Pakistan is trying to push in militants during these violations and giving them covering fire.
The patrolling along the LoC has been intensified and all the exit and entry points to the forests in North Kashmir are being monitored so as to prevent militants from infiltrating into Kashmir.
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