Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Aug 21: Security forces today shot dead a militant in North Kashmir’s Baramulla town in a gun battle in which a Special Police Officer (SPO) was also martyred.
Security forces cordoned off Ganie-Hamam area in Old Baramulla town in North Kashmir last night after specific inputs about presence of a group of militants in the area. Militants fired two grenades at the troops in which two police men— SPO Bilal Ahmad and Sub-Inspector Amandeep Parihar were injured in the attack.
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They were shifted to Army’s Base Hospital in Srinagar where one of them succumbed to injuries and another is critical.
The militant has been identified as Ghulam Rasool Gojri, resident of Syed Kareem, Baramulla and one pistol was recovered from his possession. He had gone missing on July 28. The gun battle ended this morning.
This is the first gun battle in Kashmir since August 5 when the centre scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that there were three militants in the area but two of them managed to escape when they fired grenades on the troops.
A Police spokesman said that the he was affiliated with LeT and was wanted by the law for his complicity in a series of crimes.
“As per police records, he was involved in planning & executing several terror attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities. Several terror crime cases were registered against him”, police said.
“Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation”, police added.
“To pay homage to martyr Bilal Ahmad, a wreath laying ceremony was held at District Police Lines Baramulla”, a police spokesman said.
“Civil & Police Officers led by DGP Dilbag Singh, IGP Kashmir SP Pani, DIG North Kashmir Range Mohammad Suleman Choudhary and DC Baramulla laid floral wreaths on the mortal remains and paid rich tributes to the martyr for the supreme sacrifice made in the line of duty”, the spokesman added.
The spokesman said: “Among others who paid tributes to the martyr include SSP Baramulla Abdul Qayoom, Additional S P Baramulla, DySP DAR Baramulla, DySP Hqrs Baramulla and other officers of the district”.
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