KL Report
SRINAGAR
Three militants including the District Commander of HM were were killed in an encounter at Mandoora Tral while one policeman was also killed in the encounter, said police.
As per a statement police spokesperson said that on specific information a joint team of Awantipora police, CRPF and Army cordoned off a house in Mandoora village of Tral, on Monday morning. While the cordon was being laid militants hiding in the house fired, triggering an encounter. Two policemen and two CRPF personal were injured in the initial gunfight. While one one of the injured constable Mushtaq got killed on the spot, the other three were shifted to the hospital.
The encounter continued till afternoon, the house in which militants were hiding got damaged in the encounter. Bodies of three militants were retrieved from the encounter site. The slain militants included Shabir Ahmad Bhat @ Adil of Hayna, Tral. Shabir was active in Tral area of Pulwama district since 2007 and was the District commander of HM outfit, reads the police statement.
“Shabir was involved in number of murder cases. He was involved in the killing of Manzoor Ahmad Keeli @ Man Keeli in 2009, Ghulam Mohideen Bhat a political worker in Pinglish Tral in 2011. He was also involved in the IED blast at Nawdal road attempting to kill police officers. He was also involved in the firing on a civilian Abdul Rashid Gojjar at Machama. His was also behind the arson of AR cable network in 2011,” reads the statement.
The other two militants have been identified as Shahnawaz Mir @ Tahir Khan of Dadsar Tral and Aijaz Laway @ Majid of Lurgam, Tral. Both of them had joined HM in 2011. Shahnawaz was one of the militants who had escaped from an encounter as Busoo, Tral on May 24, 2013, said police.
