Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Aug 14: Two militants of Harkatul Mujahideen (HuM) were arrested by security forces from Handwara area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district while four cops were injured in a grenade attack in Central Kashmir district of Budgam today.
Acting on a specific information about the movement of the suspected persons in the area, a joint team of Handwara Police, 21 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and 92 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) during a search operation apprehended two militants in Handwara.
The militants were identified as Younis Ahmed Mir, 19, alias Sarfraz son of Bashir Ahmed Mir of Sabdan Galwan Pura and Tahir -ul-Islam alias Sajad Afgani, 21, son of Bashir Ahmed of Muloor, Tohed Abad, Shalteng, Srinagar.
A police spokesman said these militants disclosed that they had recently joined Harkat-ul-Mujahideen militant outfit and were tasked to create disturbances in Handwara by indulging in violent activities. “Two pistols, 2 hand grenades and other incriminating materials were seized from their possession”, he said
The spokesman said that on sustained interrogation, both the militants revealed that most of the militant organizations based in Handwara area of Kupwara are facing problems on account of depleting number of local militants in the field.
“They further revealed that youth of the region are not ready to pick up gun, despite a lot of efforts by the militant commanders based in Kashmir and PoK. The militant outfits had succeeded in recruiting some local boys in Kupwara area recently, but they either surrendered before police, or were caught by security forces within a short span of time after joining militancy. It is because of this pressure upon the Valley based commanders of militant outfits to disturb the peace and tranquility of the region that they are making efforts to recruit militants in other regions and bring them to Handwara for militant attacks”, the spokesman said.
He added that Handwara Police has registered a case in this regard and further investigation were taken up.
In the meantime, militants today hurled a grenade on security forces at Magam area of Budgam district, resulting in injuries to three paramilitary CRPF men and a constable from Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Militants attacked a party of CRPF at Magam this afternoon by hurling the grenade which exploded injuring 3 CRPF and one police personnel. The injured were removed to the hospital for treatment.
Soon after the attack, police, Army and CRPF rushed to the spot and launched searches to track down the militants responsible for the attack. Lashkar-e-Toiba today claimed responsibility for a grenade attack.
Parts of Kashmir valley observed shut down against the killing of three militants and two civilians, while authorities imposed restrictions in Old city areas.
The shutdown was observed in Shopian, Kulgam, Pulwama and Budgam, while clashes erupted in Kakapora in the forenoon where a youth, Owais Shafi Dar, was killed on Sunday evening due to pellets fired by security forces.
Three militants of Hizb, including its ‘operational commander’, Mehmood Ghaznawi, was killed in an encounter in Shopian, while two civilians, Owais Shafi of Kakapora and Mohammad Syed of Shirmal, Shopian, were killed during clashes after the encounter.
Shops, business units and schools were closed, while traffic was off the roads in these four districts. However, the traffic moved smoothly on Srinagar-Jammu Highway and in rest of the districts and towns.
Life in Civil Lines of Srinagar was not affected by the shutdown. However, the authorities imposed restrictions in Old City parts, including, Maharajganj, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar and Safakadal.
In Civil Lines, shops, business units and Government offices were open, but schools were closed down by the Government.
The Government had also closed all the schools and educational institutions and universities apprehending protests by students as aftermath of killing of militants and the two civilians. Authorities today suspended the train service in Kashmir following the killing of three militants and two civilians.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funerals of Yasin Yatoo at his native village in Chadoora, Budgam. Police had sealed all the entry routes to Chadoora to prevent people from participating in the funeral processions.
And security forces today fired teargas to disperse protesters in Kakapora area of Pulwama against the killing of a youth in pellet firing yesterday. Owais Ahmad Dar, a resident of Kakapora, was killed yesterday after security forces fired pellets to disperse protesters.
A 17-year-old youth Danish Ahmad Khanday was injured today when a shell, he found near an last month’s encounter site at Bamnoo in Pulwama, exploded.
An explosive, apparently left behind at an encounter site around 40 days back at Bamnoo Pulwama, went off today injuring a boy. The boy was taken to a local hospital from where doctors referred him to the SMHS hospital here for treatment. On July 3, an encounter took place at Bamnoo where three militants were killed by security forces.
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