Militant killed in Tral encounter

Suhail A Shah
Anantnag, June 26

A militant of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, believed to be an Al-Qaeda affiliate, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday morning.

The slain militant has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Malik, a resident of Nagbal in Tral. Malik was earlier associated with the Lashkar-e-Toiba and later joined the Zakir Musa-led Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Musa was also killed in a gunfight recently.

The encounter on Wednesday took place in the forest area of Brenpathri on the outskirts of Tral town.

A senior police officer said the operation was launched following specific inputs regarding the presence of militants in the area.

“As the area was being cordoned off, the militant hiding in the forest area opened fire around 8 am,” the police officer said. He said the fire was retaliated and in a couple of hours, the militant was killed.

“His body along with weapons and other material was retrieved from the site of the gunfight,” the officer said.

Local sources said explosions and heavy gunfire was heard for more than two hours in the area before the security forces left. Hundreds of people offered multiple funeral prayersfor him. Meanwhile, intense clashes erupted near the gunfight site and some other areas of Tral between security forces and youths. Three youths were injured as security forces used pellet guns to disperse the stone-throwing crowds.