SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday said the militant killed in a gunfight with the counter-insurgent forces in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district were affiliated with Hizb ul Mujahideen outfit.
Giving details, a police spokesman said that on a specific input generated by Kulgam Police regarding the presence of militants in village Arreh area of Kulgam, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by JKP, 34RR and 18Bn CRPF in the said area.
“During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given the opportunity to surrender and repeated appeals were made through local elders, however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” said the spokesman.
“In the ensuing encounter, 02 militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. One of the slain militant was a foreigner and identified as Ali Bhai @ Hyder. However, the identification of another slain militant is being ascertained. The slain militants were affiliated with proscribed outfit HM,” he said.
“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” he added.
“The dead bodies of the slain militants have been sent to Handwara for their last rites after conducting medico-legal formalities including a collection of their DNA. In case any family claims the other slain militant to be their kith or kin, they can come forward for his identification and participation in last rites at Handwara,” a police spokesman said.
The spokesman said that in this connection a case under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Kulgam and investigation has been initiated.
“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.
