Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 3 A militant of J&K Islamic State (IS), responsible for Bijbehara attack that left a CRPF jawan and a 6-year-old boy dead, was killed in an encounter with security forces in the outskirts of summer capital, Srinagar.
A CRPF Head Constable (HC), identified as Kuldeep Urwan, was also killed in the encounter.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar termed the killing of the militant as a big success for police and CRPF.
A police spokesperson on Friday said following specific information about presence of militants, a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched by Special Operations Group of J&K Police and 118 battalion of CRPF at Malbagh in the city outskirts Thursday night. However, he said, when security forces were moving towards a particular area, a militant hiding there, fired at them with automatic weapons. “The security forces retaliated, ensuing in an encounter,” he said. He said a militant was killed in the exchange of fire. “The militant, whose body was retrieved from the encounter site, was identified as Zahid Ahmad Dass, son of Ghulam Mohammad Dass resident of Waghama Bijbehara,” he said, the slain militant was affiliated with proscribed outfit ISJK.
He said one CRPF HC was critically injured during the encounter, adding the wounded Militants keep coming to Srinagar but we ensure they don’’t set up base there
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 3: Srinagar is not militancy-free as the ultras keep coming to the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir to seek medical treatment, funds and meetings for future course of action but security forces have ensured that they are not able to set up base here, a senior police officer said on Friday.
“Srinagar is such a city where militants keep coming repeatedly. Some come for medical treatment, some for getting funds and some for further meetings. So it would not be correct to say that Srinagar is militancy free. Militants will keep coming here, we will keep getting information and do encounters (sic),” Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar told reporters after the wreath laying ceremony for a CRPF jawan. Replying to a question on the increase in the number of encounters in the city over the past couple of months, Kumar said these were preventive actions carried out by the security forces. “There were no attacks in Srinagar, these are encounters... It was preventive action by security forces based on pinpoint information,” he said. Kumar said if there are no encounters in a district, it does not mean that there are no militants there. “Militants hide everywhere, they have shelters and hideouts which they keep changing. They are on the run ... we get information and launch operations to neutralise them,” he added.
He said incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the site of encounter. “All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe his complicity in other terror crimes,” he said.
The spokesperson said the killed militant was wanted by law for his complicity in a series of terror crimes, including killings of police, security forces and civilian. “As per police records, the militant was also involved in the recent attack on June 26 in Padshahi Bagh area of Bijbehara, Anantnag in which a CRPF personnel and 6-year-old child were killed,” he said.
Besides, he said Zahid escaped from an encounter on June 30, 2020 in Anantnag in which two militants of ISJK were killed. The spokesperson said keeping in view the prevailing pandemic due to COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of people from inherent risk of contracting the infection, the body of militant has been sent to Handwara for his burial and last rites after completion of medico-legal formalities. “The closest family members of the killed militant were allowed to participate in the last rites at Handwara,” he said. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials, if any, he added.
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