Srinagar, Feb 13 (KNS): Two Hizb militants were killed in a nocturnal gunfight that raged between forces and militants in Chadoora area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, police said on Wednesday.
Police spokesman said that a cordon and search operation was laid jointly by the police and the forces in Gopalpora area following “credible inputs” about the presence of militants. “As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight,” he said.
In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of gunfight, he said.
The slain were identified as Hilal Ahmad Wani son of Mohd Akram Wani and Shoaib Mohd Lone @Mursi son of Late Arshad Hussain.
Police said both the militants were affiliated with Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and were “wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities.”
“Hilal Wani had a long history of terror crime records and was involved in several militant cases. Hilal was the main person responsible for the recruitment into the terrorist fold and was longest surviving militant who was operating across the southern and central belts of the valley ever since he had joined the militantly ranks in 2015. He was responsible for conspiring and executing many attacks on the security establishments in the valley,” police spokesman said.
Similarly, police added that Shoaib Lone @ Mursi was involved in several attacks and other civilian atrocities and several cases were registered against him. “He was also part of groups involved in conspiring and executing attacks in the valley,” police said.
Police said incriminating material including arms and ammunition, was recovered from the site of encounter. “All these materials have been taken in the case records for the purpose of investigation and probe their complicity in other cases,” police said, adding that bodies of the slain were handed over to their family after completion of medico-legal formalities.
People were later urged 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 explosive materials if any,” police said. (KNS)