Srinagar, Nov 27 (KNS): At least three militants, Army man were killed while as two Central Reserve Police Officer (CRPF) personnel sustained injuries in two separate gunfights that raged between forces and militants in the wee hours of Tuesday morning in South Kashmir’s Kulgam and Pulwama districts.
Police said that a joint search operation was launched by a team of Army's 1RR, CRPF and police who cordoned off Redwani village following the inputs about the presence of militants there.
However, police said that the militants opened fire from a house they were hiding following which forces retaliated, resulted in encounter.
A senior police officer told KNS that two militants affiliated with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed in a gunfight who were identified as Ajaz Ahmad Makroo, son of Late Ghulam Rasool Makroo of Qaimoh and Waris Ahmad Malik, son of Bashir Ahmad of Arwani.
Police said that “Ajaz Makroo as per police records had a long history of crime records since 2017. He was a close associate of militant commanders including Naveed Jatt and Azad Dada. Several cases were registered against him and the prominent among them include FIR No. 60/2016, FIR No. 45/2017, FIR No. 100/2017, FIR No. 10/2018, FIR No. 13/2018 registered at Police Station Kulgam.”
Similarly, police said that Waris was also figured in several crimes cases.
Moreover, in the gunfight police said that an Army soldier, identified as Prakash Yadav and two CRPF personnel identified as sub-inspector Amit Kumar and Constable Avnish sustained injuries.
All the injured troopers were rushed to the hospital but an injured Army man succumbed to his injuries.
In another similar encounter that raged following the search operation was launched in Hafoo Reshipora area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, a militant identified as Shakir Hassan Dar who was close aide of Zakir Musa was killed.
Police identified the slain militant as Shakir Hassan Dar, son of Ghulam Hassan Dar of Rathsuna Tral was affiliated with Zakir-Musa led Ansar Ghazwatul Hind, saying that a search operation was launched jointly by Police and forces in the wee hours of this morning following the inputs about the presence of militants in the village.
"As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the gunmen. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. In the ensuing encounter, one militant was killed,” police said.
“Shakir was a part of Zakir Musa group and had a long history of crime records since 2015,” police said, adding that “huge quantity of arms and ammunition including rifles was recovered from the encounter sites at Tral and Kulgam. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation.”
Police later appealed to the citizens not to venture inside the encounter zone “since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.”
During the encounters, the youth at both the places resorted to stone pelting during which forces used tear gas canisters to disperse them.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral procession of Shakir Tral area today.
Locals said that thousands gathered in Rathsuna village and participated in the last rites of Shakir.
Meanwhile, clashes erupted between youth and forces in Pinglish area of Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district following a search operation was launched in the village.
Notably, on late Monday evening, the militants had attacked an Army patrolling party in the village during which no loss of life or injury was reported.
A cordon-and-search-operation was launched in Pinglish area of Tral today during which youth took to the streets and pelted stones on forces.
However, reports said that forces resorted to aerial firing and tear gas shelling to disperse the protesters during search operation.
In the funeral procession of other two militants, thousands of people also participated including men, women, youth and children. They were chanting slogans in favour of freedom and against India. All the slain militants were later buried at their native villages.
Moreover, the mobile internet services in both the districts were suspended soon after the gunfight broke out today morning. (KNS)