Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, May 5: Three militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) were killed in a gun battle with security forces at Chattabal area of Srinagar city today while a youth was run over by a SOG vehicle in Safa Kadal area during stone pelting.
The Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, SP Pani said three militants were killed and their identity and group affiliation is being ascertained. He said one of the slain militants has been identified as Fayaz Ahmad Hamal of Fateh Kadal in downtown Srinagar.
Three AK rifles, a large quantity of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the encounter site including magazines, UBGL, UBGL grenades, grenades, wirecutter, medical kit and matrix sheets.
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Three paramilitary CRPF personnel were injured in the encounter and have been hospitalized.
A police spokesman said here that one of the three militants killed in Chattabal has been identified as Fayaz Ahmad Hamal from Srinagar. The second militant has been identified as Showkat Ahmad Tak son of Ghulam Hassan Tak, resident of Panzgam Pulwama. Tak was active for last 7 years and was close aide of Abu Qasim, Rehman Bhai and Abu Dujana, the top commanders of the LeT.
He said that before formally joining the outfit in April 2017, Fayaz was operating as an active accomplice of the militant network. He was previously involved in case FIR no 83/2017 u/s 392 RPC, 7/25 IA Act, 30 Police Act of Police Station MR Gunj Srinagar.
Security forces this morning cordoned off Gassi Mohalla Chattabal area of Srinagar after inputs about presence of militants hiding in a house. As the security forces closed in, the hiding militants fired at the security forces leading to a gun battle which lasted for several hours.
Soon after the encounter, the youth took to streets and clashed with police and paramilitary CRPF at Noor Bagh, Malik Sahib Safa Kadal, Cement Kadal and near Chattabal. All these areas are in the immediate periphery of the area where the encounter started.
A civilian was killed at Noorbagh after the vehicle (Wanton) of police’s SOG department allegedly ran over him during clashes near Cement Kadal in Safa Kadal.
Locals alleged that the youth Adil Ahmad Yadoo of Safa Kadal was injured critically after the SOG vehicle ran over him near Cement Kadal and was declared brought dead on arrival by the doctors at SMHS.
A purported video of the incident showing youth falling down after being rammed by police vehicle has gone viral.
A police spokesman said that at Noorbagh this morning, one person Adil Ahmad Yadoo died in a road traffic accident. In this regard a case has been registered at PS Safakadal under relevant sections of law and proceedings have been initiated against the police vehicle/ driver which was involved in the accident.
Meanwhile, thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of Adil Ahmad. Later, they took the coffin in a procession to graveyard at Eidgah where he was laid to rest. And police handed over the body of slain militant to his family for last rites.
The authorities suspended internet in entire Srinagar district as soon as the gunfight broke out early today.
And in the morning bullet-riddled bodies of a man and his nephew were recovered in Shahgund area of Hajin in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district today.
“In the intervening night of May 4/5, militants barged into the houses of Ghulam Hassan Dar (45 years old) alias Hassan Rassa son of Jabbar Ah Dar and Bashir Ahmad Dar (26 years old) son of Abdul Rehman Dar (A sumo Driver). Both resided at Gulshan Mohalla, Shahgund Hajin. They abducted both of them,” a police spokesman said.
Police said that at about 3:30 am, the militants shot both of them dead. The bodies were found by the locals near a mosque at Raheem Dar Mohalla ,Shahgund, Hajin. Ghulam Hassan was the uncle of Bashir Ahmed.
The preliminary investigation suggested the involvement of LeT militant outfit in the incident, the spokesman said. “A case into the incident was registered, and investigations were taken up”, the spokesman said.
In the meantime, a special police officer (SPO) was critically injured after militants opened fire at him at Rohmoo area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district today.
Militants fired at SPO Showkat Ahmad Dar son of Mohammad Ahsan Dar near Petrol Pump at Rahmoo. “Dar who was posted at Police Lines Pulwama immediately shifted to the district hospital Pulwama where he was referred to Army’s 92 base hospital,” they said. The incident took place at 9:25 am in Rohmoo. A joint team of forces launched a hunt to nab the militants responsible for the attack.
The separatist leaders comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik today strongly condemned the police crackdown on them. “If this policy continues, the situation will come to such a pass where it will completely get out of control, the onus of which will be on the Government,” they said.
The leaders strongly condemned the killing of three persons in North Kashmir’s Sopore and two in Hajin areas at the hands of unknown gunmen and termed it unjustified.
The separatist leader called for Valley wide shutdown on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has strongly condemned the killing of three civilians during the past 24 hours in various parts of the Kashmir valley.
In a statement, the Chief Minister said she has often said that with the killing of civilians nobody’s interests are served but we are plunging the State into uncertainty and chaos. “Whose interests are we serving by killing these civilians but plunging our society into chaos and uncertainty”.
The need of the hour, the Chief Minister reiterated, is to get Jammu & Kashmir out of the vortex of violence for which she asked all shades of opinion to rise to the occasion.
The Chief Minister has conveyed her sympathies with the bereaved families and prayed for peace to the departed souls.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister taking strong note of the death of a youth at Noorbagh, Srinagar by a police vehicle today has directed the Police to take legal cognizance of the incident and punish the guilty found involved in the incident.
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