Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 29 : In a major success for security forces, the chief of Ansar Gazwatul Hind (AGH) was among three militants killed in an overnight gun battle in South Kashmir’s Shopian district today.
An Army officer, two soldiers and two civilians including a woman were injured as the gunfight which broke out at Melhoora area of Shopian district of South Kashmir ended today.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, told Excelsior that killing of the AGH chief, Burhan Majid Koka, is a major success for the security forces as the entire group has almost been wiped out with only 3-4 cadre left in South Kashmir.
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The IGP said that Koka was involved in the attacks on the security forces, killing of civilians and recruitment of local youth into militancy for last few years. He said that Koka, a resident of Melhoora in Shopian district, joined Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in May 2018 and later shifted to AGH.
His two associates Nisar Ahmad Bhat of Arwani Bijbehara and Bilal Ahmad Khan alias Umar of Sangoo Narbal in district Pulwama were also killed in the encounter.
The operation was launched by a joint team of Army, SOG and CRPF at Melhoora village yesterday after inputs about presence of militants inside the village. The operation was put on hold last night and the cordon was tightened to prevent militants from fleeing.
The operation ended this afternoon as the security forces recovered three bodies of the militants from the debris of the house which was raised during the encounter. Two militant bodies were recovered from the debris of the house and another from beneath a veranda.
A woman Shahnaza Bano wife of Farooq Ahmad Koka suffered bullet wounds in her both legs and was referred to SMHS hospital Srinagar for treatment.
Another civilian Asif Ahmad Reshi son of Nissar Reshi of Wachi suffered pellet injuries after police and paramilitary forces chased a group of youth near the encounter site who were pelting stones at the security forces. They were trying to disrupt the operations that was being conducted by the security forces against the militants.
The militants bodies were taken to Srinagar where their post-mortem was conducted and DNA samples were taken. Few families claimed the bodies and they were given passes to travel to the Ganderbal district where the bodies were buried in the evening as per the proper protocol.
Meanwhile, militants this evening shot at a 38-year-old man in Beigh area of Kralgund Handwara in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
A police official said that militants barged into the house of Ali Mohammad Beigh, 38, son of Habibullah Beigh at around 8.20 pm and fired upon him.
He was critically injured and was shifted to a nearby Primary Health Centre where from he was referred to district hospital Handwara in critical conditions.
A joint team of police, SOG and Army launched searches to nab the assailants.
Two SSB men were injured when militants threw a grenade on security forces in Nowhatta area of Srinagar. The security forces immediately cordoned off the area to nab the militants.
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