At around 9.30 am on Monday, bullets pierced the air again in Rawalpora village, some 5 kms from south Kashmir’s Shopian town and this time Jaish commander Vilayat Ahmd Lone of Shopian alias Sajad Afghani ran out of luck. Barely an hour later, the police declared him dead. His associate was already killed on Sunday.
“A total of two militants were killed in the 72-hour encounter,” said a police official.
The official said that on Saturday night columns of army’s 44 RR, CRPF and police encircled the village after they received information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that the search operation turned into a gun battle after the militants hiding in the area fired at the security forces.
“One of the militants was killed Sunday morning”, said the official.
The official said that after the killing of the first militant, the searches continued in the area and a silence reigned over the area, which lasted for more than 24 hours.
“At around 9.30 am, the militant hiding in the area again fired on the forces which resulted in the killing of the Jaish commander Vilayat Ahmd Lone”, said the official.
Another official said that Vilayat was a native of Rawalpora and was active since September 2018.
A police spokesperson in a statement said that Vilayat was part of a group involved in executing a series of attacks on security forces and civilians.
“Several cases were registered against him and was wanted by law,” said the statement.
According to the statement, IGP Kashmir and GOC Victor force conducted aerial monitoring of the operation and law and order situation at the encounter site.
“The last rites of the killed militants shall be performed after conducting their medico legal formalities and their nearest family members shall be allowed to participate in their last rites”, said the statement.
Local residents alleged that six residential houses were burnt down by the forces. However, a police spokesperson on Sunday evening said that three houses caught fire during the gun-battle.
Two civilians and a policeman suffered injuries during the clashes which erupted near the gun-battle site on Sunday.