Srinagar, Jun 23 (KNS): The four slain militants who were killed in a gunfight with forces at Daramdora village in Panzar area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district Dalipora on Sunday have been identified.
A police official identified the slain militants as Showkat Ahmad @Arshid from Chandpora Rajpora, Azad Ahmad Khanday@Molvi from Bamnoo Pulwama, Suhail Yousuf from Berthipora Shopian and Rafee Hassan Mir from Kral check Shopian.
Providing details of the gunfight a police spokesman in a statement said, “On a credible input a cordon and search operation was launched at Panzar area in District Shopian, by Police and counter-insurgent forces.”
“During searches, militants fired upon the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” said the spokesman.
“In the ensuing encounter, 04 militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” he said.
A police spokesman said among the four slain militants, Showkat had a long history of crime records since 2015. He was initially part of proscribed outfit HM.
“Showkat, as per police records, was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. Several crime cases were registered against him including Case FIR No. 113/2016 of P/S Rajpora pertaining to firing on a guard post at Sheikhard, Case FIR No. 02/2017 of P/S Rajpora pertaining to the lobbing of grenade on security forces, Case FIR No. 20/2017 of P/S Rajpora pertaining to firing on civilians Bashir Ahmad Dar and Altaf Ahmad at Qasabyar in which Bashir Dar succumbed and Altaf was seriously injured, Case FIR No. 21/2017 of P/S Rajpora pertaining to civilian atrocities and Case FIR No. 01/2019 of P/S Rajpora pertaining to killing of a policeman Sameer Ahmad,” said the spokesman.
“Showkat Mir was instrumental in the recruitment of Azad Ahmad, Rafi Hassan and Suhail Ahmad who had recently joined the militant fold,” he said.
“Pertinently with the efforts of Police and security forces, it was a clean operation. No collateral damage happened during the encounter,” he added.
“Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition was recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other terror crime cases,” he said.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” said the spokesman. (KNS)