Sniper’s accomplice was third militant from his family

Azhar Qadri
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, October 31

Showkat Ahmad Khan, one of the two militants killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Tral sub-district yesterday and the accomplice of the lead sniper, was the third member of his family from south Kashmir’s Tral sub-district to have joined militancy, police sources said.

The sources said Khan was part of a sniper team – possibly a spotter for the lead sniper — which had carried out at least two sniping attacks in recent days in which two security forces personnel were killed.

Khan, a member of the Jaish-e-Mohammad militant organisation, along with the lead sniper Usman Haidar —- a foreigner and reportedly related to group founder Maulana Masood Azhar — was killed during a gunfight at Chaanketaar village of Tral last evening.

The US-made M4 carbine which was used as the sniper rifle was recovered from the site of the gunfight, the sources said. The Jaish-e-Mohammad, which was founded in 2000 and had remained dormant for several years, has made a deadly comeback in the Kashmir valley in recent years and has recruited several dozen local youth. The group’s presence in Tral is estimated to be eight to ten, the sources said.

A resident of Tral’s Handoora village, Khan had joined the militant group after his elder brother Ishfaq Khan was killed in a fierce gunfight in April this year in Tral’s Lam forest.

Militants appear at funeral, fire shots  

Anantnag: Anantnag: Militants appeared at the funeral of their slain associate on Wednesday and offered a gun salute at Handoora village of Tral. Three or four militants appeared at the funeral of Showkat Ahmad Khan of Handoora, who was killed in a gunfight on Tuesday along with foreign militant Usman Haider at Tral’s Chankitaar village. A complete shutdown was observed in Tral and its adjoining area throughout the day on Wednesday. OC