Ex-PDP MLC’s Nephew Among Slain Militants
Srinagar: A Hizbul Mujahideen commander and nephew of a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLC were among three militants killed on Tuesday in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
Acting on a tip-off, special operations group (SOG) of police, army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Turkwangam area of the district in the wee hours Tuesday, a police spokesperson said.
He said a encounter broke out after the militants opened fire upon a search party and the forces retaliated.
In the exchange of firing, three militants were killed, he said.
“It was due to an excellent and swift action by Police, Army and CRPF, the joint operation was carried out in a professional manner with no collateral damage,”
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said, while addressing a joint news conference.
During the current year, he said 94 militants including top commanders have been killed, 24 in Shopian district in last two weeks.
“The bodies of the three militants have been sent to Baramulla for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including collection of their DNA,” Kumar said.
He added that in case any family claims the slain militants to their kith or kin, they can come forward for the identification and participation in last rites at Baramulla.
Meanwhile, a handout issued by the army claimed that the slain militants were involved in abduction and killing of a civilian, Tariq Ahmad Paul in the district last week.
According to the reports, the militants killed in the encounter are Hizb district commander Zubair Wani of Turkawangam, Kamran Manhas, nephew of former PDP MLC Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, and Muneeb-ul-Haq of Sugan Zainapora Shopian.
Kamran Manhas had announced joining the Hizb ranks in January 2019 and a picture showing him holding an AK-47 rifle went viral on social media then. Reacting to it then, Zaffar Manhas said he was in “absolute disbelief” and that he and his family could never imagine such a thing even in dreams. Since then Zaffar Manhas left PDP and joined Jammu and Kashmir Apni party.
Kamran was the first youth from the Sharaab village to join militancy in more than twenty years. It could not be ascertained immediately if any other youth has joined the militant ranks since then, news agency GNS reported.
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