Firdaus Ali
Srinagar: A local militant of Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in a gunfight with government forces in south Kashmir’s Shopian district, police said Wednesday.
Police, army’s 44RR and the personnel of CRPF 178 battalion launched a cordon and search operation (CASO) in orchards of Shirmal area of the district on Wednesday after receiving specific information about the presence of militants, a police spokesperson said. The militants, he said, turned down the surrender offer by the joint team and instead opened fire upon them.
“The joint search party retaliated to the fire leading to an encounter.In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter,” the police spokesperson said.
He identified the slain militant as Sajad Ahmad Bhat of Aishmuqam in Anantnag district. Bhat, he said, was associated with Hizb and was active since September last year and was involved in several militant crime cases.
“Arms and ammunition including 1 pistol with magazine, 1 grenade & other incriminating materials were recovered from the encounter site,” the police spokesperson said.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe his complicity in other crimes. During the search operation one hideout was busted and later on destroyed,” he added
The police spokesperson further said that a case has been registered under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated in this regard.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any,” he added.
Meanwhile, a group of militants Wednesday hurled a grenade and opened fire on a team of state forces personnel in Pulwama district, but no damage was caused, police said.
The incident happened around 8:50 pm when the militants attacked a police and CRPF naka party near the SBI Rajpura Chowk branch in the south Kashmir district, a police official said.
There was no loss of life or injury in the incident, the official said, adding, the security forces retaliated the firing. (With PTI inputs)
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