Srinagar: Police on Saturday claimed to have killed a commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.
A joint team of police, army’s 9RR and the personnel of CRPF 18 battalion launched a cordon and search operation in the Ashmuji area of the district around 1300 hours on Saturday after receiving specific information about the presence of militants, a police spokesperson said.
During the search operation, he said, the presence of militants was ascertained and they were given ample opportunities to surrender.
“Instead they started firing indiscriminately on the search parties. The joint parties ensuring safety of civilians rescued and shifted all the civilians to safer places. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” he said.
In the ensuing encounter, the police spokesperson said that a newly appointed district commander of Hizb was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter. The police identified him as Mudasir Wagay of Malwan area of the district.
Wagay, according to the police spokesperson, was an A+ categorized militant and was active since the year 2018 figuring among the list of most wanted militants.
The killed commander, he said, was among other “crimes”, also involved in the killing of a political worker Ghulam Hassan Lone in Devsar area.
“Moreover, the Insas rifle recovered from the killed terrorist is the same which was snatched by terrorists in year 2017 at Pombay DH Pora during an attack on bank vehicle,” he added.
The police spokesperson further said that incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including the Insas rifle were recovered from the site of encounter.
“All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation. Police have registered cases under relevant sections of law and investigations have been initiated,” he added.
Pertinently, the encounter in Ashmuji comes three days after police claimed to have killed five militants, including a top commander of The Resistance Front, in two separate gunfights in the district.
Meanwhile, police also claimed to have busted a network of militant associates of Lashkar-e-Taiba by arresting five alleged members.
According to the police spokesperson, the network of active militant associates was busted during the investigation of cases pertaining to multiple grenade attacks in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
He identified the accused as Showket Islam Dar, Aijaz Ahmad Lone, Aijaz Gulzar Lone, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat and Nasser Ahmad Shah, all residents of Lelhar.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the module was acting as sleeper cell and were involved in procurement as well as transportation of arms/ammunition. They were also involved in carrying out grenade attacks on security forces at the behest of their handlers,” the police spokesperson said.
He further claimed recovery of incriminating materials including arms/ammunition from their possession.
“Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 139/2021 under relevant sections of law has been registered at PS Kakapora. Further investigation into the matter is in progress,” he added.
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