Hizb militant killed in Shopian gunfight: police

Srinagar June 23: A local militant of the Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Heff Shirmal village of south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The gunfight raged Wednesday afternoon in the orchards of the village after after a joint team of police, 44RR and 178 Battalion of the CRPF launched searches there following inputs about the presence of militants there, a police statement said.

   

As per police, once the presence of militants was established in the area, they were given an opportunity to surrender.

“However, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which was retaliated leading to an encounter, ” police said.

It said that in the ensuing firefight, the HM militant identified as Sajad Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Qadir Bhat, resident of Badigam Aishmuqam in Anantnag district was killed whose body was retrieved from the gunfight site.

Police said that arms and ammunition including one pistol with magazine, a grenade “and other incriminating materials” were recovered from the encounter site.

During further searches, a militant hideout was also busted and later on destroyed, police added.

Bhat, as per police, had joined militant ranks on September 14, 2020 and was involved in many militancy related cases.

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