Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 1: Top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant and the mastermind behind last month’s killing of six cops including Station House Officer (SHO) and his associate along with two civilians were killed in a fierce encounter in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district today.
LeT commander Bashir Ahmad Wani alias Bashir Lashkar, an A plus category militant carried Rs 10 lakh reward on his head. Police last month named him brain behind killing of SHO Acchabal Feroz Ahmad and 5 cops. The other militant has been identified as Azad Ahmad Malik alias Dada, resident of Arwani Bijbehara.
A joint team of Army’s 19 RR, CRPF and SOG cordoned off Tangwara, a hamlet adjacent to Brenty village of Dialgam late last night following specific information about the presence of LeT militants including Bashir Lashkar.
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As the news about the operation spread in the area, a large number of people took to streets and tried to approach towards the encounter site and pelted stones at the security forces. Security forces fired tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters.
Director General of Police Dr SP Vaid said that people assemble at the encounter sites at instigation of enemies of peace. “If you see the social media, there is instigation to youth to reach to the site of encounter to save Bashir Lashkar, these people assemble on the instigation of enemies of peace of this unfortunate Valley”, he said.
A police spokesman said gunfight between the militants and the security forces raged after siege was laid in the area following specific inputs. A woman Tahira Begum, 43, wife of Abdul Rashid Chopan of Brenty village was seriously injured and was shifted to nearby hospital for treatment. However, the doctors declared her as brought dead.
The locals blamed security forces for killing of women during protests. “While the cordon was being laid, some militants outside a house fired upon the security personnel which was retaliated. In the cross firing one woman sustained injuries and later succumbed,” the police spokesman said. Another youth was also injured in clashes who later died.
At least five persons were injured after paramilitary CRPF and police fired tear smoke and pellet guns to disperse the group of youth, who were approaching towards the encounter site at Tangwara.
All the injured have been hospitalized. However, a seriously injured Shadab succumbed to injuries. Police said 17 civilians, who were inside the house, where militants were trapped, were rescued.
After the house was cleared of civilians, police and Army blasted the house and it resulted in the killing of two militants. Soon after the news about the killing of two militants including Bashir spread, clashes broke out at Kokernag, Pulwama and areas adjoining to Dialgam between protesters and security forces. Around a dozen civilians were injured in the clashes amid shutdown in the area.
Police later handed over the body of Bashir Lashkar to his family for last rites in which large number of people participated.
Separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik urged people to observe a complete shutdown tomorrow against killings at Dialgam.
In view of strike, the District Magistrate Srinagar has ordered imposition of restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC in the areas falling under the jurisdictions of police stations Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar, Safakadal, Maisuma and Kralkhud in district Srinagar on July 2 (Sunday) as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has expressed grief over the death of two civilians at Anantnag during an anti-militancy operation today.
Terming the deaths as tragic and unfortunate, the Chief Minister appealed the people to keep away from the points of conflagration so that precious human lives are not lost.
Conveying her sympathies to the bereaved families, Mehbooba said the vicious cycle of death and destruction confronting Kashmir must end at the earliest and efforts should be made at all levels to revive the peace and reconciliation process for the larger good of the people sandwiched in a gory situation.
“We in Jammu and Kashmir understand better what the ordeal of violence is, as it has been our fate to live through and survive its frightening and devouring hazards,” she said and added that for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, suffering over two decades of turmoil, has been a long, dark experience, bloody at times and frustrating at almost every step. “This gory era must end now for the sake of our future generations,” she said.
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