KL Report
SRINAGAR
Top Hizb-ul-Mujahedin Commander for North Kashmir, Mohammad Shafi Sheikh was killed in an encounter with Sopore police and 22 RR in Seeloo, Sopore in the wee hours on Sunday, police said.
A statement issued in Srinagar further said that during the intervening night of February, 15-16, 2014, acting on a tip off, Sopore police and 22 RR launched a cordon and search operation in Bhat Mohalla, Seeloo Sopore. The joint search party was fired upon. The fire was retaliated in which the militant was killed.
The slain militant was later identified as Divisional Commander of HM for North Kashmir, Mohammad Shafi Sheikh @Shafi Peer @Rashid of Zaloora Sopore. Police said that one Pistol with eight rounds and a grenade was recovered from the site of the encounter.
Police added that the slain militant was involved in a number of cop killings including killing of a police constable Mohammad Shafi Lone at Lathishat Sopore, SPO Altaf Ahmad at Adipora Sopore, HC Mohammad Yousuf of CID Sopore, killing of 2 CRPF personnel in Pattan and snatching their service rifles in 2010. Police added that he was an IED expert and was involved in a number of IED blasts including the blast at Police station Sopore in 2011 in which one SgCt. Morifat Hussain was killed besides being involved in number of grenade attacks in Sopore.
