Separatist’s son among two ultras killed in J&K

Majid Jahangir

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Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 19

In less than a fortnight, security forces dealt another blow to Hizbul Mujahideen by killing its top commander, the son of senior Hurriyat leader Ashraf Sehari.

Junaid Sehrai, an MBA passout from Kashmir University, was killed along with an associate in a gunfight in a congested old city area. Four security men were injured in the gunfight.

Junaid, 30, was the youngest son of the separatist leader and had joined militant ranks in March 2018. Ashraf is the chief of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat and one of the frontrunners to succeed Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

J&K DGP Dilbag Singh said the operation started last night in the Nawa Kadal locality and culminated with the killing of two militants this afternoon. “The two terrorists have been identified as Junaid Ashraf Khan (Junaid Sehrai) from Srinagar and Tariq Ahamd Sheikh from Pulwama,” he said.

“Junaid was Hizb divisional commander and active in four districts of Kashmir. He was wanted in at least six criminal cases,” he added.

The gunfight broke out when joint teams of the police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in the locality after input about the presence of two militants.

“Around 2 am, contact with militants was established. After initial exchange of fire, there was a lull. A fresh contact was established around 8 pm and in the exchange of fire, two militants were killed,” a police officer said. Four security men were also injured, he added.

At the encounter site there was total devastation as over a dozen houses were damaged during the gunfight.

“Forces carried out several blasts. Four houses were completely destroyed and others have suffered substantial or partial damages,” a local resident said. “People whose houses have been damaged have lost everything and couldn’t save anything. Our houses were vandalised by the forces and valuables, jewelry and cash are missing from there as well.”

However, DGP Singh said the operation was a clean one as only one residential house caught fire which was controlled immediately.

Big blow to Hizb

• The killing comes a fortnight after Hizb operational chief Riyaz Naikoo was shot in south Kashmir
• Hizb divisional commander Junaid Sehrai was an MBA passout from Kashmir University
• His father Ashraf Sehrai, chief of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, is likely to succeed Syed Ali Shah Geelani