Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 20: A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in forest area of Tral in Pulwama district of South Kashmir today while a massive operation has been launched in the forests of Handwara in district Kupwara after inputs about presence of a group of heavily armed militants.
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Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Gujarbasti forest area of Tral in district Pulwama today on the bases of information about the presence of some militants.
A joint team of 42-RR, SOG Tral and CRPF launched the operation and during the searches, gunshots were heard, prompting the security forces to intensify the combing operation.
As the security forces zeroed in towards the area where from gun shots were heard, militants fired on the troops leading to a gun battle in which one militant was killed. He has been identified as Adil Rashid Chopan of Larow in Tral belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen. Sources said that the other militants of the group managed to escape.
Chopan had emerged unharmed from the debris of a house razed to ground by security forces on May 20 this year when top militant commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was killed at Saimoh village.
Pictures of Chopan surrounded by locals at the gunfight site had gone viral on social media. Sabzar and his aide Faizan Bhat were killed in the firefight earlier this year.
In the meantime, security forces launched a massive search operation in Rajwar forests of Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara today after reports of presence of a heavily armed militant group.
The operation was launched by Handwara Police, 21-RR,32-RR,6-RR of Army,30 and 92 Battalions of CRPF in the forest Compartment of 8,9,10 and 11 in Handwara.
This is one of the major operations that has been launched this year. Security forces, however, couldn’t spot the militant group today but the operation in the forests will continue.
And security forces today cordoned off several orchards of South Kashmir’s Shopian district after reports about presence of militants.
An official said that security forces launched the operation in orchards of Amshipora, Chitterpora, Nowgam, Shamsipora and Ramnagri villages of the district. He said that the operation was limited to orchards only.
In the meantime, police said that a 16-year-old boy who had joined militancy heeded to parents’ call and returned home in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district today.
An official said that the boy, a resident of Chimmer village – a far flung area in Damhal-Hanjipora tehsil surrendered before police following an appeal by his parents. He had left his home on September 27 this year.
Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Muneer Khan said that the boy hasn’t surrendered. “He has neither surrendered nor been apprehended. He has just returned to his family,” he said.
The development comes just days when a footballer-turned-militant Majid Khan returned home after an emotional appeal by his parents.
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