Srinagar, October 26
A top self-styled Hizbul Mujahideen commander, who was responsible for killing a number of civilians, including an aged woman, two school-going girls and a three-year-old child, was shot dead along with his two accomplices in Shopian today.
According to information, Army and police personnel surrounded a hideout in a village in Keller, which had seen a number of targeted killings this year, and gunned down the militants.
The biggest success for the security personnel was the death of Doda resident Saqib, who was the top HM commander in south Kashmir. Also killed included Reyaz Paswal and Ishfaq, hailing from Rajpora and Keller, respectively.
Speaking to The Tribune, Shopian SP Shahid Mehraj said Saqib was behind the killings of Nageena (18) and Parveena Akhtar (17), on June 3 and July 23, respectively. He also shot
dead Aslam Awam and his three-year-old son, Arif, in July.
Both bright students, the girls were reportedly targeted due to their “modern outlook”. And Aslam Awam, he had been accused of being an “informer”. Saqib first killed Awam’s 60-year-old mother Reshma on April 14 and then him and his son in July.
The killing of a child had invited sharp reaction from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who accused the separatists of indulging in “politics of hypocrisy” as they remained silent over his brutal death.
Though some of them later condemned the incident, many other civilian killings by militants almost went unnoticed even as politicians of all hues brought life to a grinding halt in the valley over the mysterious death of two women in Shopian.
Notably, most of the killings occurred in Shopian as militants regrouped, benefiting from long civil strife in the district while police remained busy dealing with almost daily protests. “Saqib’s and his associates’ deaths will bring relief to civilians and will be a big blow to militancy,” Mehraj said.
Two AK 56 rifles, one AK 47 rifle, 14 magazines, one pistol, a satellite phone, three mobile sets, a radio set and 278 rounds were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.
Meanwhile, two militants, reportedly belonging to Laskher-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujihideen (HM), were arrested by the security forces from Reasi and Kishtwar districts in separate operations.
According to official sources, on the basis of specific information a joint operation of the police and the Army was launched in Patnazi area of Kishtwar. In a fierce gun battle, security forces apprehended a terrorist.
The arrested terrorist has been identified as Mohammad Yaseen Zarger. A rocket-propelled grenade launcher with ammunitions, one pistol, one magazine and rounds were recovered from his possession.
He had joined LeT recently and was active in Patnazi and Bonjwah areas and was the right hand man of LeT district commander Ishad Butt.
In another incident, the Rashtriya Rifles and the local police in a joint operation apprehended one HM terrorist in Sonabag, seven kilometres from Mahore. The apprehended terrorist has been identified as Talib Hussain.
