Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 26: A militant and a soldier were killed today in the 24 hour long encounter in Shopian taking the death toll to 5 including an Army officer and Hizbul Mujahideen district commander.
South Kashmir police chief, Deputy Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told Excelsior that Hizbul Mujahideen district commander, Asif Ahmad Wani, was among the killed militants in the encounter in which one Army jawan was also killed today.
Kumar said that gun battle ended this morning at around 9:15 am. after security forces eliminated last surviving militant, who killed an Army Major Mukund Vardarajan and solider of 44-Rashtriya Rifles of Army last night.
The Army officer had gone near the debris of the house in which the militants were holed up, believing that all militants are dead. One of the militants was alive and he opened fire on the Army officer and a jawan, killing both of them. The intermittent firing was going on throughout the night and in the morning the last surviving militant was killed.
The DIG said that bodies of militants and the Army jawan were recovered after the debris of the house was cleared. He said that operation was called off at around 1:30 pm. after all the bodies were recovered.
Kumar said militants belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen and have been identified as District Commander of HM, Asif Ahmad Wani son of Abdul Razaq of Drubgam, Rajpora, Pulwama; Shabir Ahmad Gorsi son of Farooq Ahmad Gorsi resident of Regward Keller, Shopian and Abdul Haq Malik son of Ghulam Hassan resident of Arwani, Bijbehara, Anatnag.
The Police Chief said that Asif was a Jaish Militant who had joined HM one and a half years ago after his commander Altaf Baba was killed in 2012. He was District commander of HM for Shopian district. “Asif was involved in the killing of Constable Dalbir Singh at Bus Stand Pulwama in 2012 and Mohammad Shafi Muqdam of Aglar village in 2013. Shafi was abducted by Asif and later killed”, he added.
Kumar said that Abdul Haq Malik was involved in the killing of a policeman in Arwani area of Anantnag last year. “He had joined militancy a year ago. His body was charred beyond recognition and his brother claimed his body. He told police that Haq had called home last evening and informed them about the trapping of three militants inside a house in Karewa Manloo”, he added.
The DIG said that Gorsi was involved in several militancy related incident and had fled from the Session court one and a half year ago and was active since then. He said that bodies of the militants were handed over to their relatives for last rites.
Kumar said that a joint operation was launched by Police, 44-RR and 14-BN CRPF yesterday on a specific information regarding presence of militants in a house in village Kariwa, Manloo in district Shopian.
Srinagar based defence spokesman, Lt Col N N Joshi said here that a joint operation of Army and SOG of police was launched yesterday on a specific intelligence input. He said that three militants were killed and arms and war like stores were recovered from them. “Army also suffered two fatal casualties including an officer”, he added.
The spokesman said that keeping the built up area in mind and to avoid any collateral damage, operations were conducted in a very calibrated manner. “By late morning today, all the three terrorists were eliminated. Two AK-47 rifles, one pistol and other war like stores were recovered. During the operations, fighting valiantly, one Army officer and a soldier suffered gunshot wounds and later succumbed to injuries and attained martyrdom”, he added.
Clashes broke out between stone pelting protesters and police and CRPF at several places in Shopian district after the killing of the militants.
Protesters in Pulwama district also fought pitched battles with the police and CRPF after the killing of Asif. His village Drubgam observed complete shutdown today.
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