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| 5 militants including Saddam Paddar killed in encounter, 5 civilians die in clashes | | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, May 6: In one of the bloodiest encounters in the recent past five militants including a top commander of banned militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Saddam Paddar were killed in an encounter with the police and security forces at Badigam in South Kashmir's Shopian district.
Among the dead is an Assistant Professor of University of Kashmir who was reported missing from Friday from the University campus. The Assistant Professor identified as Mohammad Rafi Bhat had joined the militant ranks recently with his family members lodging a missing report at Ganderbal police station.
Five civilians belonging to different places of South Kashmir were killed after clashes broke out between groups of agitating youth and police as well as security forces at different places. As soon as news broke out that some militants have been trapped at Badigam-Shopian people mostly youth came out and pelted stones on police and security forces personnel.
Five civilians lost their lives in the retaliatory action with many other sustaining bullet and pellet injuries. While some of the injured were shifted to the local hospitals many others were referred to Srinagar hospitals for treatment. At least two houses were gutted in the gunfight while as protesters torched two vehicles of Fire & Emergency Services department near the encounter site.
Reports reaching here said that Jammu & Kashmir Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Army cordoned off the Badigam village in Shopian after receiving inputs that some militants are hiding in one of the houses in the village. The security forces tried their best to persuade the militants to surrender but they failed.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shopian, Shailender Kumar Mishra went to the encounter site himself and made announcement on the Public Address System asking the militants to surrender. The surrender was reciprocated by the firing of bullets by the militants hiding there.
Family members of Assistant Professor were informed that since their son is one of the trapped militants they should motivate him to surrender. The family members had hardly reached Bota Kadal from Chanduna-Ganderbal when they were informed that Rafi has been killed in the encounter.
It has been learnt that the Assistant Professor had called up his father early today and asked him to forgive him since he had left the family and joined the militant ranks. As the militants refused to surrender the security forces launched an offensive leading to the killing of all the militants.
The slain militants were identified as Saddam Hussain Paddar, Heff-Shopian, Bilal Ahmad Mohand, Heff-Shopian, Adil Ahmad Malik, Malikgund-Shopian, Tauseef Ahmad Sheikh, Rampora-Qaimoh, Kulgam and Mohammad Rafi Bhat, Chanduna-Ganderbal.
Paddar was among 10 militants who had posed with then-HM commander Burhan Wani in a picture that went viral on social media and gave traction to militancy in Kashmir. Paddar, in his 20s and a school dropout, was a category A plus militant and district commander of HM, with more than Rs 10 lakh bounty on his head.
A police spokesman said that the slain militants were associated with Hizbul Mujahideen. He said that Saddam was active since September, 2014 adding that Bilal was active since October, 2016. He said that Adil was active since August, 2014 with Tauseef joining the militant ranks in 2013 and Rafi being the latest entrant.
The spokesman said that Saddam and his associates were involved in a number of civilian killings and attacks on security forces besides instigating youth to join terrorist network. He said that police made repeated attempts to make them surrender which did not materialise.
"During the encounter, unfortunately while handling a highly volatile situation civilians were injured in cross firing among them five civilians succumbed to their injuries. The condition of other injured persons is stated to be stable. Three security forces personnel including one policeman got injured and they are getting treatment at hospital," said the police spokesman.
The civilians who lost their lives during clashes were identified as Adil Ahmad, Ashmuji-Kulgam, Sajad Ahmad Rather, Dooru-Anantnag, Asif Ahmad Mir, Rohmoo-Pulwama, Zubair Ahmad, Rajpora-Pulwama and Nissar Ahmad. |
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