Militant killed in Tral encounter

An Al-Badr militant was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Machoma village of Tral in south Kashmir’s Awantipora on Thursday.

The slain identified as Irfan Ahmad Dar of Gadihal, Awantipora, had joined the ranks last month and was carrying only a pistol.

   

Dar, a Hafiz I Quran – one who has memorised the Quran – ran a seminary before he joined militants.

According to police, he was arrested last year, booked under PSA and detained in Jammu jail for a year.

A police official said that Dar was given a chance to surrender but he refused.

“A civilian was bought to the encounter site to persuade him to surrender but he turned down the offer,” he said.

A police official said that early in the morning columns of army’s 42RR, special operation group (SOG) of JK Police and CRPF launched searches in the area.

“As they moved towards the house the militant had taken shelter in, he opened fire. The fire was then retaliated, triggering an encounter in which the militant was killed,” he said.

His body was taken by police to North Kashmir for burial with only his family allowed to participate in his last rites.

For several months now, police have been denying the bodies of the militants to their families as their funerals attracted large crowds.

Another gunfight breaks out in Bijbehara:

A gunfight broke out between militants and security forces in Sirhama village of Bijbehara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday.

A police official said that on a specific input about the presence of militants a joint team of special operation group (SOG) of JK Police, army’s 3RR and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in the area in the evening.

“As the forces approached towards the suspected spot they were fired upon. The fire was retaliated, triggering an encounter,” he said.

The police official said that heavy exchange of fire is on.

Two to three militants are believed to be trapped in the area.

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