Srinagar, Oct 17: Two militants, a civilian and a policeman were killed in a gunfight on Wednesday morning in Fateh Kadal area of old Srinagar city.
Reports said contingents of police and CRPF Wednesday morning cordoned off Fateh Kadal area and launched search operations near a house from where the militants fired on them triggering an encounter in the area.
Two militants and the son of the person in whose house militants had taken shelter were killed during the encounter.
The two slain militants were identified as Mehraj Bungroo, a top LeT commander and Fahad Waza, who too belonged to LeT. The third casualty was that of Rayees Ahmad, son of the house owner, whom police dubbed as militant’s “accomplice.
The police spokesman said “the role of Rayees Ahmad is being investigated”.
“The complicity of Rayees Ahmad who was part of the group in providing shelter and logistics to the militants is being investigated,” the spokesman said.
One police constable, identified as Kamal Kishore, was killed while two police and CRPF personnel also received injuries in the gunfight.
“During the encounter, all the two militants and their active accomplice refused to come out of the house and in turn fired upon the search party. Consequently, they were killed in the encounter,” the spokesman added.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the wreath lying ceremony of the policeman killed in the gunfight, Director General Police, Dilbagh Singh termed the killing of Mehraj Bungroo a “big relief” for police as well as the people of Srinagar city and claimed that the slain LeT commander was “involved in many attacks on government forces and weapon snatching incidents.”
DGP Dilbagh Singh said “three militants have been killed and two of them have been identified as Mehraj Bungroo a top LeT commander and Fahad Waza another militant also owing allegiance to LeT. The identity of the third militant is yet to be ascertained.”
Claiming the recovery of huge cache of arms and ammunition from the procession of slain militants, DGP said “the gunfight broke out early in the morning when contingents of police and CRPF jointly cordoned off Fateh Kadal area on specific inputs about the presence of militants at a specific place. Three militants two of whom were identified were killed in the gunfight and their bodies were recovered. One policeman identified as Kamal Kishore of Reasi Jammu was also killed in the gunfight.”
Asked about the involvement of the slain militants in the killing of two National Conference workers, the DGP said: “We are at it, investigation is on but can’t say anything right now about their involvement in the killing of two civilians in the same area.”
