HM comdr among 5 militants, 5 civilians killed in Shopian; 130 injured

Prof who joined militancy 2 days ago among killed

Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 6: Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Sadam Padder was among five militants including a Kashmir University’s Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Rafi, killed in Shopian district of South Kashmir today. And five civilians were killed and around 130 injured in the clashes that took place during and after the encounter in the area.
A joint team of Army’s 44 Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off Badigam village in Shopian district in South Kashmir after inputs about presence of militants in the village.
The troops were fired at by the hiding militants leading to an encounter in which two security force personnel were injured. A policeman and a soldier of 44 RR who were injured were shifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Badami Bagh Srinagar.

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Later reinforcements of Army’s 34 RR, 3 RR and 44 RR were rushed to the area to take on the militant group. The gun battle continued for several hours during which five militants were killed. They have been identified as Saddam Hussain Paddar of Heff, Shopian; Bilal Ahmad Mohand of Heff Shirmal, Shopian; Adil Ahmad Malik of Malik Gund, Shopian; Tauseef Ahmad Sheikh of Rampora, Qoimoh and Mohammad Rafi Bhat of Ganderbal, who had recently joined them.
During the operation, residents of the area gathered at the encounter site and pelted stones on the security forces to disrupt the operation. This led to clashes between security forces and the protesters which continued throughout the day. Two fire service vehicles were torched by angry people protesting against the killing of five militants and as many civilians in Shopian.
At least five protesters were killed in the security forces firing and 130 were injured.  The civilians killed have been identified as Asif Ahmad Mir, 17, of Rohmoo, Pulwama; Sajad Rather of Sehpora Dooru; Zubair Ahmad Nigro of Ayangund Rajpora; Yasir of Shopian and Adil Bashir Ganie of Mahgund Ashmuji Kulgam.
The District Hospital Shopian treated 73 pellet injury and 30 bullet injury patients, Primary Health Centre (PHC) Zainapora treated 7 pellet injury patients; PHC DK Pora treated 17 pellet and 3 bullet injury patients and District Hospital Kulgam treated 4 pellet and 2 bullet injury patients.
A police spokesman said that today security forces including Shopian Police,  Army and CRPF carried out searches in Badigam area of Shopian which resulted in an encounter.
“The holed up terrorists fired heavily upon the search party. Security forces in their guarded response fired back. Meanwhile, police made repeated attempts to make the hiding terrorists to surrender. In the process, family members and nearby community headmen were also roped in vain to surrender them”, the spokesman said.
“During the encounter 5 terrorists of outlawed HM were neutralised. One Army personnel and one policeman have sustained injuries during the encounter. Post encounter incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman identified as killed militants as Saddam Hussain Paddar of Heff, Shopian who was active since September, 2014; Bilal Ahmad Mohand of Heff Shirmal, Shopian was active since October, 2016; Adil Ahmad Malik of Malik Gund, Shopian was active since August, 2014; Tauseef Ahmad Sheikh of Rampora, Qoimoh was active since 2013 and Mohammad Rafi Bhat of Ganderbal who had recently joined them.
The spokesman said that Saddam Paddar and his associates were involved in a number of civilian killings and attacks on security forces besides instigating youth to join militancy. “Police made repeated attempts to make them surrender which did not materialize”, the spokesman added.
“During the encounter, unfortunately while handling a highly volatile situation civilians were injured in cross firing among them five civilians succumbed to their injuries. The condition of other injured persons is stated to be stable”, the spokesman added.
“We once again reiterate that encounter sites are prohibitory zones and highly susceptible to cross firing so must be avoided by civilians”, the spokesman said.
The spokesman said that police have registered a case under relevant Sections and investigation has been taken up.
Saddam Padder, 32, a resident of Heff Shirmal village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, joined militancy in 2014.  Prior to joining militancy, he was arrested several times on charges of stone pelting and had several cases registered against him.
Son of a timber merchant, Padder dropped out from the school in Class 12th and became part of the Lashkar-e-Toiba in September 2014. He later joined Hizbul-Mujahideen in 2015.
The police officials said Padder mainly operated in South Kashmir’s Shopian-Tral belt and was a hardened commander.
Padder played a prominent role in many attacks in South Kashmir. He played a key role in freeing Lashkar militant commander Naveed Jutt from the police custody. Jutt fled from the police custody in SMHS hospital in Srinagar where he was brought for the medical check-up from Srinagar jail.
Rafi Bhat, a 33-year-old professor on contract with the Kashmir University’s Sociology department, had left the varsity premises on Friday and had been missing since then. Police said he, a resident of Chunduna village in Ganderbal was PhD in Sociology, had joined the group but his father had repeatedly told the Police that Rafi would not pick up arms.
He called his father Fayaz Ahmed Bhat to bid farewell this morning after getting trapped in the cordon in Shopian. He told his father that he was sorry if he had hurt his parents. “I am sorry if I have hurt you,” he told his father.
Police, monitoring all calls from the encounter site, quickly got it cracking and sent a police team to Bhat asking him to convince his son to surrender. The father, accompanied by his mother, sister and wife, started their journey from their home to the encounter site. But barely after reaching Bota Kadal, 14 km from their home, they heard the news about Rafi’s end. The family returned home to prepare for his funeral.
Bhat told police about his last conversation with his son and indicated he was convinced Rafi would not be there to hear their pleas, asking him to surrender. “I am sorry if I have hurt you and this is my last call as I am going to meet Allah,” Rafi told his father.
Expressing strong resentment and anger over the bloodbath in Shopian, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik today called for strike tomorrow. The leaders asked people to hold sit in protest outside the Civil Secretariat tomorrow at around 12 noon.
Authorities have decided to impose restrictions under Section 144 CrPC in 7 Police Station areas of Srinagar tomorrow. The areas where restrictions will be imposed include Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M R Gunj and partial in Maisuma and Kralkhud.
They have also suspended the Mobile internet services across Kashmir to prevent spread of violence.
The Government has announced that Colleges and Schools will remain shut tomorrow across Kashmir. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan said colleges and schools in Kashmir will remain shut tomorrow. “The decision has been taken in view of the prevailing situation in Kashmir”, he said.
The Kashmir University has suspended class-work for two days as a precautionary measure, a KU spokesperson said. He said examinations scheduled to be held on May 7, 2018 (Monday) are postponed and fresh dates shall be notified separately, later.
A Railway official said that the train services will also remain suspended tomorrow as well as a precautionary measure.

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