SRINAGAR: Police have retrieved all the bodies of the slain people in Druggad village and have been identified. Police said slain include seven Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants and a civilian.
Police sources in Srinagar and Shopian have identified the slain militants as Yawar Itoo, a resident Safnagri Zainpora, Nazim Nazir of Nagbal, Adil Thokar of Homhohona, Ubair Shafi Malla, a resident of Trenz, Rais Thokar of Paderpora, Ishafaq Malik of Pinjoora and Zubair Turay of Shopian town.
“We have started the process of handing over bodies to the respective families,” a senior police officer said. “By evening, the families will lay them to rest.”
There is the eighth body that was also recovered from Druggad. Police said they have identified him as Mushtaq Ahmad Thokar, a local resident. “He is the same person whom the army had taken last night to guide them to the area,” one officer said. However, at the press conference, the media was told that he was the house owner where militants had taken shelter.
Reports said the area is hugely tense as tens of thousands of people have assembled in their villages.
Police said all the slain militants were in their battle fatigues and the slain civilian was in tracksuits.
Police had earlier said they recovered some arms from the spot of the clash. Four soldiers are reported to have received injuries in the wee hour encounter.
Meanwhile, the counter-insurgency grid has started a cordon in Arhama village. A police officer said there was a bullet shot also heard but not many details are immediately known.
