4 Hizb militants killed in Kulgam gunfight

Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, April 4

Four Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants, all of them locals, were today killed in a gunfight with security forces in Kulgam district of south Kashmir.

Sources identified the slain militants as Ashraf Malik, a resident of Arwini in Anantnag district, Aijaz Naik, a resident of Chimmer village in Kulgam district, Shahid Malik, a resident of Khull Ahmedabad in Kulgam district, and Waqar Ahmad, a resident of Chawalgam village in Kulgam district.

General Officer Commanding (GOC), Victor Force, Major-General A Sengupta, however, maintained that the search was on for the fifth militant, believed to have been part of the group.

“We have retrieved four bodies and search is on for the fifth one,” Maj-Gen Sengupta told mediapersons at a presser at Victor Force headquarters in Awantipora.

The gunfight — the first in Kashmir after the Covid-19 lockdown — took place early Saturday morning at Khur Batpora village of Kulgam district, 80 km from Srinagar.

A senior police official told The Tribune that the militants were being closely tracked, following killing of four civilians in the district in last two weeks.

“Their movement was being monitored and were today tracked to a residential house in the Khur Batpora area,” the police official said, adding that a cordon and search operation was launched and the militants were asked to surrender.

The militants, however, as per the official, opened indiscriminate fire, which was retaliated.

Local sources said the gunfight continued for several hours before the security forces set ablaze the house militants were trapped in. “The militants ran out and three of them were gunned down in the lawn of the house, while the fourth one managed to run to another house and took refuge there,” they said.

The fourth militant was also neutralised following another bout of exchange of fire, while the second house was also damaged during the encounter.

The police official maintained that a pistol, an AK-47, INSAS rifle, SLR and some ammunition was retrieved from the possession of the militants.

“The bodies will be handed over to the families after completion of medico-legal formalities,” the police official said.

The mobile Internet services in Kulgam district remained suspended for the day today in wake of the gunfight.

Meanwhile, two minors from the Kreeri area of Baramulla district who had left their homes to join militant ranks in north Kashmir were traced by the police and later handed over to their families on Saturday.

1st gunfight after Covid lockdown

• The gunfight — the first in Kashmir after the Covid-19 lockdown — took place early Saturday morning at Khur Batpora village of Kulgam district, 80 km from Srinagar.
• “We have retrieved four bodies and search is on for the fifth one,” Maj-Gen A Sengupta told mediapersons at a presser at Victor Force headquarters in Awantipora.

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