Pulwama 03 June (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir police on Thursday said that a person killed in an overnight operation at police component complex Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district was an “active militant operative” who was arrested on 30 May along with incriminating material including explosives.

As per the statement issued to Kashmir News Service reads, "Mohd Amin Malik s/o Abdul Ahad Malik R/O Nagbal Machhma, Tral, was an active militant operative, who got neutralised in an overnight operation on 2/3 June jointly conducted by Awantipora Police, 180 Bn CRPF and 42 RR at Police Component complex Tral".

“Amin was arrested on May 30, 2021 along with incriminating materials viz. arms, ammunitions and explosives including unlicensed 12 bore gun, live rounds, explosives, iron/steel balls, 9 feature phones and other warlike stores used in fabrication of IEDs,” the official said, adding that “ A case FIR No. 48/2021 under relevant sections of law was registered at Police Station Tral. Amin was on Police remand and on 2/6/2021 he was brought from Police Station Tral to the Police Component, Tral for further interrogation. During the interrogation the terror operative got hold of the service rifle (AK 47) of Constable Amjad Khan and fired indiscriminately with intention to kill the Police personnel. He critically wounded CT Amjad Khan.”

The Police said that Amin then took total control of the interrogation room and engaged the Police personnel by firing intermittently from the snatched weapon. “Sensing grave danger to the lives of Police personnel and that of Amin, his mother and Executive Magistrate were brought on the site and repeated sincere efforts were made to persuade him to through away the weapon and surrender.”

Police said, Amin, however, displayed complete defiance to such persuasions and not only refused to surrender but also fired upon the Police party engaged in persuasion. “One of the Police personnel was hit with a bullet on chest and survived because of bulletproof jacket he was wearing,” the official said, adding that “After failing of all efforts to ensure his surrender, the terror operative was engaged in a gun fight following the rules and SoP of such engagement and was neutralized.”

The police said that the snatched weapon was recovered from the possession of the slain.

“In this regard, case FIR No. 61/2021 under relevant sections of law stands registered at Police Station Tral and investigation taken up. Dead body of slain militant was sent to Police Hospital Srinagar for medico-legal formalities,” it added.

Police said that it is pertinent to mention that the slain militant operative was active militant of Hizb ul Mujahideen in the past and was arrested in 2003. “Further, his brother Shabir Malik was also a militant of AGuH outfit who was eliminated at Brenpathri in 2019,”.(KNS)