Tribune News ServiceSrinagar, May 6
The police today claimed to have achieved a major success with the killing of the operational chief of
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Gazi Shahabuddin. Cash of Rs 1 lakh, one AK rifle, four magazines, 60 rounds and a satellite phone were recovered from the spot. Two police personnel were also injured in the encounter.
The chief commander (operations), identified as Abdul Rashid Pir alias Peer Shardar alias Gazi Shahabuddin of Khonmoh, Srinagar, succeeded Mohammad Abbas Malik, deputy operational chief, who was killed in an encounter with the police and security forces here on January 15 last.
Acting on specific information, the police laid a cordon at Gurgadi Mohalla in MR Gunj area of the old city, where the party was fired upon by the hiding militants. The militant was killed in the encounter that ensued in which two police personnel were also injured, said a police spokesman. However, the locals claimed that one person was killed in a “fake encounter” in a residential house whose members were allegedly harassed and beaten up by the police.
The police stated that the slain militant, Gazi Shahabuddin, was involved in various incidents, including the IED explosion near Fruit Mandi here on September 6 last year, in which seven civilians were killed and several injured.
One militant, identified as Abu Sufyan from Pakistan was killed in an encounter with security forces at Pannar forests near Bandipore in Baramula district of north Kashmir today. One AK rifle four magazines, 60 rounds and one wireless set were recovered from the site of the encounter.
Two security forces personnel were injured when militants hurled a grenade upon their picket in the main market of Bandipore, Baramula district, this afternoon.
A CRPF jawan was injured when militants fired upon security forces vehicles near Qazigund in Anantnag district last evening when they were returning after election duty.
UNI adds: Official sources said six
LeT militants were killed in an encounter in Aham Sharief village near Bandipora in Baramulla district today.
Troops, on specific information, cordoned off the village. However, when the troops were sealing the area, they came under heavy fire from militants. The fire was returned and in the fierce encounter six militants of LeT were killed.
One soldier and a girl were injured in the shootout, sources said adding a large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.
Another militant was killed in an encounter at Solina in Surankote last night.
Police today recovered a body at Beerwah in Badgam district, while another body was recovered at Wathar last evening.
Meanwhile, in another incident 10 persons, including three securitymen, were injured in a grenade blast at Main Chowk Bandipora in North Kashmir at 2 this afternoon.
