Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday claimed that the six militants killed in a gunfight with the forces were involved in several attacks on police in south Kashmir.

Slain militants killed in Shopian Gunfight.

“Based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Batagund area of Kapran in district Shopian, a cordon and search operation was launched in the intervening night jointly by Police and security forces in the area,” said police spokesman.

The spokesman in a statement said that as the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight. Initially, one jawan of 34 RR sustained injuries in the exchange of fire. He was evacuated to the hospital and is stated to be stable now.

“However one Jawan identified as Nazir Ahmad of 34 RR who got grievously injured in the final phase of the encounter has succumbed and attained martyrdom,” the spokesman added.

In the ensuing encounter, six militants were killed.

“The killed militants have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmad Mir @ Hammad @ Musha son of Ghulam Hassan Mir of Cheki-Cholan Shopian, Mohammad Abass Bhatt son of Abdul Jabbar Bhat of Cheki Mantribugh Shopian, Umar Majeed Ganaie @ Maaz @ Abu Hanzalla @ Abdul Rehman son of Abdul Majeed Ganaie of Souch Kulgam, Mohd Waseem Wagay @ Saifullah son of Abdul Hameed Wagay of Amshipora, Khalid Farooq Malik @Rafi @Talha of Baghander Aliyalpora  Shopian and from the material evidence collected,  one militant is learnt to be a foreigner from Pakistan,” he said.

“It was a combined group of HM and LeT, as per police records, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir @Hammad was affiliated with LeT and was operating as District commander for Shopian, while Mohd Abaas, Waseem Wagay, Umar Majeed  Ganai and Khalid were with HM. Mohd Abass was known as District Commander of HM for Shopian and Umar Majed was operating as district commander of HM for Kulgam,” said police spokesman.

“All the killed six militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian killings in the area. With their elimination, all notorious militants of the belt have been successfully eliminated,” said police spokesman.

As per the police records, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir @ Hammad had a long history of crimes since 2014. He was a close associate of militant commander Zeenat-ul-Islam and was involved in several attacks on security establishments and civilian killings. He had figured in several cases and the prominent among them include FIR No: 27/15 PS Zainpora u/s 307 RPC, 7/27 I.A. act dated 19 May 2015, FIR No: 133/15 U/S 392,307,511 RPC, 7/27 I.A. Act PS Shopian pertaining to the snatching of weapons from Court Complex Shopian on 09.07.2015 in which a police constable got critically injured, FIR NO: 77/2016 U/S 302, 307 RPC, 7/27 A. Act  PS Heerpora pertaining to the attack on Police guard at Ramnagri Shopian on 07.10.2016 in which one constable Nazir Ahmad got martyred besides injuries to one constable & one civilian, FIR No: 119/2017 u/s 506 RPC 7/25 I A Act 38, 39 ULA (P) Act dated 01.06.2017 at PS Shopian for threatening and creating panic among the general masses of Shopian,” the spokesman said.

“He was also involved in lobbing of grenade at Bonbazar chowk Shopian on 11.10.2016 in which 8 civilians had sustained injuries,” he added.

The spokesman said: “Mohammad Abass Bhatt was earlier convicted for a murder case FIR No. 82/2011 U/S 302 RPC PS Shopian and sentenced for 5 years.”

“After his release in April 2016, he joined the militant ranks. He was involved in several terror-related crimes and according to police records was involved in the recent spate of gruesome killings of civilians in Shopian including the decapitating of 19-year young Huzaif Ashraf. He was wanted by the law for the killing of young officer trainee Lt Omar Fayaz, Advocate Imtiyaz Khan and four police personnel at Shopian in August this year and many other civilian killings in the area. Several terror cases were registered against him and the prominent ones include FIR No 32/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 342, 451, 506 RPC 7/25 I.A Act dated 04.03.2017. He along with his other associates had barged inside the residential house of locals, ransacked the household goods and threatened the inmates, FIR No: 46/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 7/27 I.A Act, 307 RPC  3 PPPD Act, 16 ULA dated 23.03.2017 pertaining to the terror attack on the police party at Hajipora, FIR No: 93/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 307 RPC 7/25 A. Act dated 09.05.2017 pertaining to the firing and attack on security forces at village Kundalan Shopian, FIR No: 94/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 302  RPC 7/27  A. Act 16 ULA (P) Act dated 10.05.2017 pertaining to the abduction and killing of young trainee officer Lt Umar Fayaz S/o Fayaz Ahmad Parray R/o Sarsoona Kulgam at Herman Shopian, FIR No: 119 /2017 of PS Shopian u/s 506 RPC, 7/25 I.A. Act, 38, 39 ULA (P) Act dated 01.06.2017 pertaining to the threatening of civilians and locals of Shopian, FIR No: 91/17 of PS Shopian u/s 7/25 I.A. ACT 39 ULA (P) ACT, FIR NO: 194/17 OF PS Shopian u/s 307 RPC 7/27 I.A. ACT 16 ULA (P) Act, FIR NO: 205/17 of PS Shopian u/s 307, 324 RPC 7/27 I.A. ACT 16 ULA(P) Act, FIR No: 213/17 of PS Shopian u/s 7/27 I.A. ACT 302 RPC, FIR No: 264/17 of PS Shopian u/s 392 RPC 7/25 I.A. ACT.”

“Umer Majid Ganai who had escaped from Batmaloo encounter and whose photo was recently circulated on social media showing his presence near clock tower Lal chowk had figured in the killings of several policemen and civilians in the area since 2016. He was involved in Pombai Bank guard attack case in which 4 policemen and 2 banks guards had lost their lives in 2017. Several terror cases were registered against him and the prominent among them include FIR No.  96/2016 U/S 147, 148, 149, 188, 336, 332,302, 307,436, 511, 427 RPC 3 PSS Act 13 ULA (P) 3/2 PPD 7/27 A Act, FIR No. 259/2016 U/S 302, 109 RPC 7/25 Arms Act of P/S Kulgam, FIR No .119/2016 U/S 392, RPC 7/25 Arms Act of P/S Yaripora, FIR No. 58/2017 U/S 302, 392, 120-B RPC 10, 13, 18 ULA (P) Act, 7/25 Arms Act of P/S Kulgam, FIR No. 83/2017 U/S 452, 307 RPC 7/25 Arms Act of P/S Kulgam, FIR No. 187/2016 U/S 302, 307, RPC  7/25 IA Act of P/S Kulgam, FIR No. 121/2016 U/S 452,392 RPC, 30 Police Act 03 PEPO, 7/25 I A Act of P/S D.H. Pora, FIR No. 129/2016 U/S 395, 452, 30 Police Act. 7/25 I.A Act of P/S D.H. Pora, and FIR No. 106/2017 U/S 302, RPC, 7/25 Arms Act 13, ULA (P) Act OF P/S D.H. Pora.”

“Mohd Waseem Wagay @ Saifullah was involved in several crimes in the area and attacks on the security establishments. He was part of a militant group involved in the killing of four police personnel in August this year at Shopian. Many crime cases were registered against him including FIR No 93/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 307 RPC 7/25 A. Act dated 09.05.2017 pertaining to the attack on security forces at village Kundalan Shopian, FIR No: 264/2017 of PS Shopian u/s 392 RPC, 7/25 I.A Act  and FIR No: 66/2017 of PS Heerpora u/s 7/25 I.A act 13, 38 ULA.”

Similarly, Khalid Farooq was also involved in several crimes and was part of militant groups responsible for the killing of security forces and civilians in the area. One Pakistani militant killed in today’s encounter was wanted in the gruesome killing of civilians in the area including the throat slitting video uploaded on Social media, the police spokesman said.

“Around the encounter site one injured individual identified as Nouman Ashraf Bhat of Bolous Kulgam referred to the hospital has succumbed. Four others injured in the incident are reportedly stable,” the spokesman said.

“Police has registered a case and initiated the investigation in the matter. The huge quantity of arms & ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other terror cases,” he said.

“Citizens are once again requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.

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