Day later, ultra killed in Awantipora operation
Majid Jahangir
Tribune News Service
Srinagar, January 22
Security forces finally managed to kill a militant in the Khrew area of south Kashmir where a soldier and police official were killed on Tuesday.
The anti-militancy operation at Zantrag Khrew village in Awantipora sub-district, 50 km from Srinagar, started on Tuesday morning when joint teams of forces started a cordon and search operation in the area after an input about the militants’ presence. In the initial gunfight, 26-year-old Sepoy Rahul Rainswal, who had joined the Army in 2013, and a Special Police Officer, Shezad Ahmed, were killed.
While the militants managed to give a slip after the initial gunfight, the joint teams of forces maintained a tight cordon and continued the combing operation.
“The combing operation was suspended for the night. The operation resumed this morning and a contact with hiding militant was established at around noon and in the exchange of fire one militant was killed,” a police officer said. “The gunfight happened in a forest area barely half a kilometre from the spot where the initial gunfight broke,” he said.
The officer said the operation was halted for the night and combing operation would resume on Thursday. “There is a possibility that one more militant may be still hiding in the area,” the officer said.
Earlier in the day, J&K Police chief Dilbag Singh said counter-militancy operations had been intensified across the Kashmir valley.
The anti-militancy operations are happening at a time when the Union territory of J&K is gearing up for holding peaceful Republic Day functions.
“All preparations have been put in place in Srinagar, south Kashmir and elsewhere with befitting security arrangements made to ensure smooth, incident-free and peaceful Republic Day functions,” the police chief said after the wreath-laying ceremony of the SPO.
Slain officer laid to rest
Rajouri: Special Police Officer (SPO) Shahbaaz Ahmed of Rajouri district, who lost his life in an encounter with the militants in Kashmir on Tuesday, was laid to rest at his native village in Manjakot tehsil of Rajouri district on Wednesday. Earlier, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the District Police Lines in Srinagar. Hundreds of villagers paid tributes to the slain officer. SSP Yougal Manhas along with senior officers laid wreaths on the mortal remains of Shabaaz, who was buried with full police honours. — oc
