SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday claimed to have killed two Al-Badr militants, responsible for recent attacks on migrant labourers in Kashmir in an overnight encounter with counter-insurgent forces in Pulwama district.
A police spokesman in a statement said that on a specific input generated by Pulwama Police regarding the presence of militants in the village Mitrigam area of Pulwama, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, Army (44RR) and CRPF in the said area.
The spokesman said that during the search operation, as the joint search party proceeded towards the suspected spot the hiding terrorists fired indiscriminately upon the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter.
“In the initial exchange of fire, one security force personnel received gunshot injuries. He was immediately evacuated to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. However, the operation was halted to ensure safe evacuation of all the civilians trapped around the encounter site. Moreover, all due precautions were also taken to avoid any collateral damage,” said police spokesman in a statement.
He said that after evacuation of civilians was done, the operation was resumed. In the ensuing operation, 02 local militants identified as Aijaz Hafiz of Dalipora and Shahid Ayub of Dheeri Murran linked with proscribed outfit Al-Badr were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.
“As per police records both the killed terrorists were categorized terrorists and part of groups involved in a series of crimes including attacks on Police/SFs and civilian atrocities. Both the slain militants were involved in series of recent terror attacks on outside labourers in Pulwama,” he added.
The spokesman said that militant Aijaz Ahmad Hafiz was involved in firing upon outside labourers namely Sonu Sharma son of Banarasi Dass resident of Pathankote at Yadder Pulwama, Mohammad Akram son of Ab Salam resident of Bijnor UP at Arihal Pulwama and Wishwajeet Kumar son of Parwas Mandal resident of Banka Bihar at Circular Road Gangoo, Pulwama.
He was also involved in firing upon bank guard namely Ab Hamid Wani resident of Tahab Pulwama and Sarpanch Gh Nabi Kumar of Panchayat Halqa Arihal B at Arihal Pulwama. Besides these crimes, terrorist Aijaz Hafiz was instrumental in recruiting Shahid Ayoub Sheikh into militant ranks, who too was neutralized in the said encounter, said police spokesman.
“Shahid Ayoub was involved in firing upon two outside labourers namely Patlashwar Kumar son of Jako Choudary and Joko Choudary son of Thaugh Choudary, both residents of Bihar at Lajoora Pulwama. Before joining militant ranks, he was working as a terrorist associate & was involved in several other crimes,” he said.
He said that incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation.
IGP Kashmir termed this operation as a big success and congratulated the joint forces for killing militants involved in the recent attacks on outside labourers, said police spokesman in a statement.
