Militant surrenders, urges others to shun violence
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 6: Two Laskhar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants were killed, and another surrendered today in an encounter in Meej area of Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district while a man who was injured in the initial firing succumbed to his injuries.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar said that two Pakistani militants were killed in the encounter and another surrendered. He identified the killed militants as Umar Bhai and Huzaifa. He also said that two AK 47 rifles and two pistols were recovered from the encounter site.
He said that earlier, a joint team of Army’s 50 RR, CRPF and SOG of Jammu and Kashmir police jointly launched an operation last evening in the area following the inputs of presence of militants.
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He said that as the security forces reached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately which was retaliated leading to the gun battle.
The IGP said that they were offered surrender and two of them refused and while as the third one accepted the surrender after hectic efforts.
The surrendered militant has been identified as Khawar Sultan Bhat alias Jana of Drangbal Pampore. He was missing from last three months. Bhat later thanked Police and Army for allowing him to surrender. “I am thankful to Police and army who gave me new life”, he said.
Two civilians were injured, one of them critically, who succumbed to injures this morning in SMHS after militants attacked the search party of security forces in Meej area of Pampore. He has been identified as Abid Ahmad Mir, 22, S/o Abdul Hamid Mir R/o Meej Pampore.
Kumar said that security forces and the police are achieving a success as “misguided youth are returning even in live actions.”
He said that surrender over death is being preferred by the militants in live encounters. The IGP said: “Success of police and security forces is that they are getting misguided youth back. This year has been successful as they are returning now and they are being honourably welcomed.”
The IGP stated this in reference to the surrender made by a local militant in Pampore encounter today. With the fresh surrender of a militant today, the number of militants who surrendered in live encounters has reached nine.
Khawar Sultan Bhat expressed gratitude to police and security forces for giving him another chance to live life and appealed to all ultras to shun the path of militancy, saying it is a “deception”.
Bhat, who had joined the militancy on September 1 this year, surrendered after numerous appeals by the security forces.
In a video of the surrender, put on Twitter by police, Mir is seen coming out of a building holding his arms in the air.
In another video, he expresses gratitude to police and security forces for offering him to surrender during the gunbattle.
“I am thankful to J-K Police and Army, who gave me another chance to live my life. They told me to come out, took me out alive and treated me well. They did not torture me and treated me like their brother. Whatever (arms) I had, I left it there only (at the encounter site),” Mir says in an over-a-minute video clip uploaded by the Kashmir Police on its Twitter handle.
He appealed to militants to give up arms, saying the path of militancy was a “deceit” and a “deception”.
“I appeal all my brothers that this (militancy) is a deceit, this bloodshed is a lie, a deception…there is nothing in it,” he said.
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