Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Nov 5: Army today killed a Hizbul Mujahideen militant in a gun battle while four others escaped taking the cover of dense bushes in Shopian forest area of South Kashmir. An AK-47 rifle, he had snatched from the security guard of former legislator in September this year was recovered from his possession.
Sources said that Army yesterday received information about presence of 5 militants of Hizbul Mujahideen in the forests of Dobjan in Shopian area of South Kashmir and launched a massive operation against them.
These militants had recently gone to woods form the Shopian area and as soon as Army received information they launched the operation. This morning, the Army spotted the militant group and challenged them leading to a gun battle.
One militant identified as Waseem Ahmad Khanday, resident of Zarkhan village of Kellar in Shopian was killed in the encounter and an Army personnel was injured. The Army man was airlifted to 92-Base hospital in Badami Bagh Cantonment Srinagar for treatment.
The other members of the group fled taking cover of dense bushes in the area. Army pressed choppers into service to locate the militants but failed to trace them out.
Khanday had joined the militancy recently after snatching AK-47 from security guard of CPI’s former MLC Abdul Rehman Tukroo at Tukroo village of Shopian in September this year.
Khanday, a relative of Tukroo was staying at the former legislator’s house before taking away the AK-47 rifle along with a magazine and 30 rounds from his security guard Constable Mohammad Abbas.
A police official said that acting on a tip off, security forces including Army cordoned off Dobjan area of Shopian. Security forces following the input about the presence of militants launched searches in the area.
The police official said that as the searches were underway, militants hiding in a residential house opened fire on forces, triggering an encounter between the sides. In the ensuing gunbattle, one Army man was injured while a local militant was killed.
The police official identified the militant as Waseem Ahmad Khanday, resident of Zarkhan village of Kellar in Shopian. An AK 47 and some ammunition were recovered from his possession, said the official.
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