Srinagar, Dec 22: At least six militants affiliated with Zakir Moosa led group were killed on Saturday morning in a gunfight that raged between forces and militants in Arampora village of Tral in Awantipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Police said that a joint cordon and search operation was launched in Arampora village of Tral by forces in the wee hours of Saturday morning following the credible inputs about the presence of militants.
“The militants holed up in the area fired upon the search party, which was retaliated, thus leading to an encounter,” police said, adding that six militants affiliated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind were killed in the gunfight.
Police also said that no collateral damage took place during the gunfight.
The slain militants as per police have been identified as Soliha Mohammad Akhoon, son of Ghulam Mohammad Akhoon of Arampora Tral, Faisal of Amlar, Nadeem Ahmad Sofi, son of Muzzafar Ahmad Sofi of Batagund Tral, Rasiq Mir, son of Ghulam Qadir Mir of Mir Mohalla Dadsara Tral, Rouf and Umar both residents of Dadsara Tral.
Soliha is believed the Deputy of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
“All the six militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. This group was part of Zakir Mousa faction and was active in district Pulwama,” police said in a statement.
“As per Police records, Rasiq had a long history of crime records since last five years. Several cases were registered against him including case FIR number 170/2016 under section 13, 18, 18E, 20 ULAP Act. Soliha as per police records also had a long history of crimes since 2015 and was involved in several attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area,” police spokesman said.
“Similarly, Nadeem and Umar were also involved in several crimes. Also Rouf and Faisal were involved in planning and executing many attacks in the area,” he added.
Police added that the bodies of all the six militants after completion of medico legal formalities were handed over to their legal heirs.
“Arms and ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other cases,” he said.
Police further appealed people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. “People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials,” police said.
Meanwhile, soon after the news about the militant killings spread, people mostly youth to the streets and staged protest against the killings.
The protesting youth raised slogans in favour of freedom during the protest.
Thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of slain militants.
Reports said that four militants – Raski Mir, Rouf Mir, Nadeem Sofi and Umer Ramzan – were laid to rest at a single graveyard in Dadsara village of Tral.
Two other slain militants – Soliha Mohammad Akhoon and Faisal Khanday – were respectively laid to rest at Arampora and Amlar area of the district.
Reports said that ten rounds of funeral prayers were held to accommodate thousands of mourners who had marched to Dadsara, Arampora and Amlar areas.
Meanwhile, the mobile internet services in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district was suspended following the encounter in Tral village.
The mobile internet service in other districts of South Kashmir was reduced to 2G
Moreover, the train services from Baramulla to Banihal as also suspended for today in view of ‘security measure’.
5 CRPF men injured in Bijbehara blast
Srinagar, Dec 22: Five paramilitary CRPF men were injured in a grenade explosion at Arwani area of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Saturday evening.
Official sources said that some suspected militants lobbed a grenade towards the CRPF party in Arwani.
In the blast, five CRPF men of 90 bn, sustained splinter injuries and were taken to army’s nearby health hospital for treatment, they said.
A police spokesman in a statement said that today evening from a crowd in Arwani, Bijbehara, militants lobbed a grenade towards security forces.
“In the incident, five security force personnel sustained injuries. They were evacuated to hospital for medical treatment. After administering them with first aid, all the five security forces personnel were discharged from the hospital and are stated to be stable,” the spokesman said.
Police have registered a case and the investigation in the matter is underway, the spokesman added.
