SRINAGAR: Security grid said with the killing of Zahid Wani, they have finally managed a militant who had evolved into an IED expert. Wani was one of the five militants that the police said were killed in two separate encounters overnight.

Relatives of Inayat Mir one among four killed in Naira encounter wailing outside the Police Control Room in Srinagar, on Sunday, January 30, 2022. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

While four of them were killed in Pulwama’s Naira village, one was killed in Chrar-e-Sharief. Wani was killed in Pulwama. Apart from Zahid Wani, others killed in the twin encounters included a foreigner, Kafeel Bari, Waheed Ahmad Reshi, Inayat Mir and Bilal Ahmad Khan.

However, the family of Inayat Mir have disputed the police claim that their 17-year old son was a militant. They actually drove to Srinagar and sought custody of the corpse, which was denied. Ghulam Qadir Mir, father of Inayat told reporters that his mother in law had died so the family was in Trisal village and his two daughters were home. The house was searched twice, they said. While one of Mir’s two sons was permitted to accompany his sisters after the searches and was arrested in the morning, the other was reported to have been killed during the night.

Vouching for his innocence, the family is demanding the release of their son and the return of the body of Inayat.  “Please set free the son who has been arrested, he is now the only son our father has,” said one of his two brothers-in-law.

Police sources said they had some cases against Inayat.

IGP Kashmir while addressing a joint press conference at Army Headquarters Balpora Shopian said that during the operation, the house owner’s son Inayat Ahmed, was asked to surrender but he along with the militants opened fire at the joint team of Army, CRPF and Police and got killed.

“He was a hybrid militant,” the IGP said. He said that the house owner at Naira, Pulwama, in whose house the encounter took place, will be booked under UAPA.

Police sources also said that the slain Inayat choose not to move out of his home when a public announcement was made for the family – and decided to stay with the militants who were holed up at his residence.

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