Srinagar, May 10 (KNS): A militant who was initially affiliated with Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was killed in a brief gunfight that raged between forces and militants in Ram Nagri area of Herpora in South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

Police said that a Cordon and Search Operation was launched after credible inputs this morning.

The hiding militants fired upon on the search party, police siad, adding that the fire was retaliated, which resulted in a brief exchange of fire that left a militant dead.

Police identified the slain as Ishfaq Ahmad Sofi alias Umar, son of Mushtaq Ahmad resident of Model Town-B, Sopore.

According to the police records, Ishfaq had a long history of crime records and was initially affiliated with HuM. “He along with his other militant associates was involved in series of cases including grenade attacks on CRPF bunker at Safa Kadal, Soura and Police Station Khanyar. He was also part of groups which had carried out attacks on security establishments in the area,” police said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Police added that Ishfaq was subsequently arrested and after his release on bail, he again got recycled and joined the terror ranks last year in 2018, adding that Ishfaq, as per the police records, after getting recycled again got involved in planning and executing attacks.

“Ishfaq was also involved in attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area for which several cases were registered against him. As such he was wanted,” police said.

Meanwhile, police informed that incriminating material including arms and ammunition has been recovered from the slain militant, saying that with the efforts of police and security forces, it was a clean operation and no collateral damage took place during the exchange of fire.

Moreover, police urged people not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. (KNS)