Top Hizb militant killed in Kupwara encounter

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 28

A top militant commander of pro-Pakistan militant group Hizbul Mujahideen was killed in a gunfight in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Tuesday.

The police said the divisional commander of the outfit in north Kashmir Sameer Ahmed Wani was killed in a gunfight that erupted in the wee hours at Nagri in Drugmulla, nearly 90 km from Srinagar, after an input was received about his presence in the area.

The village was cordoned off by a joint team of the 47 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, Special Operation Group of the J&K Police and the CRPF following a tip-off that the militant was hiding inside a two-storeyed house of Ghulam Mouhidin.

“The house was cordoned off and the security forces made a number of attempts to convince the terrorist to surrender by making announcements through mega phones at the encounter site but the terrorist resorted to firing following which a gun battle ensued resulting in the elimination of the terrorist,” the Srinagar-based defence spokesman said. “The militant was involved in many terror-related incidents in the Sopore area. One Chinese pistol, ammunition and other war-like stores were recovered from the terrorist.”

Sameer, a resident of Dooru in Sopore, was active since May 2014 and had also been associated with the Lashkar-e-Islam for a brief time. The Lashkar-e-Islam was blamed by the police for a series mobile tower attacks in north Kashmir last year.

Sources said Sameer had gone to Kupwara to receive a fresh group of infiltrators from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. It could not be ascertained when he had to receive the group.

The sources, however, said the Hizbul Mujahideen had got a major boost in recent months after nearly a dozen militants from across the border joined it in north Kashmir. These freshly infiltrated militants of the group were hiding in the Handwara forests and Sopore areas.

Meanwhile, intense clashes and protests broke out in Kupwara and Sopore as the news about the killing of the local militant spread. A police vehicle carrying detainees was also torched by the protesters on the outskirts of Sopore. The policemen and the detainees abandoned the vehicle and reported to the nearest police post. The police had to use tear-smoke shells and fire in the air to disperse protesters at various places in and around Sopore.

There has been a spurt in violence in the last two weeks. Since June 14, 20 militants and 10 security men have been killed in various anti-militancy operations.