Ultras killed in Kulgam gunfights used locals’ houses as hideouts for months

Srinagar, July 8

Six militants killed in two-day long encounters in south Kashmir’s Kulgam were using hideouts inside residential houses, which were in use for the past many months, security forces said on Monday. On Saturday, the first gunfight between the forces and terrorists broke out at Modergam village.

A few hours later, another gunfight broke out in the Frisal Chinnigam area of Kulgam. The two anti-militancy operations concluded on Sunday. Six militants and two soldiers, including an elite para commando, were killed in the operations. Addressing a press conference in south Kashmir, top Army and police officers said the slain militants were affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen and their killing was a “huge” setback to the outfit.

Top commander among those killed

• Brigadier Anirudh Chauhan of Army’s 2 Sector RR said during the Modergam encounter, two terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, including a top commander of the group, were killed
• He added that the killing of its top leadership was a big jolt to the Hizbul Mujahideen and the outfit would take long time to “overcome the setback”
• Chauhan said the the security forces had been tracking this group for two months

“In the first encounter (Modergam), the hideout was inside the house and the terrorists had been using it for the several months. In Chinnigam, a hideout was constructed inside the house of Mushtaq Ahmed Bhat. A concrete and sophisticated hideout was constructed and from the past several months, they were using this hideout,” Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Kashmir, Javed Mattoo, told reporters.

He added that the security forces had recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition during the encounters and cases had been registered. The police identified the slain militants in the Modergam operation as Adil Hussain Wani and Faisal Bashir, residents of Shopian district.

While Hussain was a category ‘A’ militant, Bashir had joined militancy a few months ago, before working as an OGW (overground worker), said Javed.

In the Chinnigam encounter, the police officer said four militants affiliated with the Hizbul Mujahideen were killed. They were identified as Yawar Bashir Dar, Tauheed Ahmed Rather, Shakeel Ahmed Wani and Zahid Ahmed Dar.

Brigadier Prithvi Raj, Commander of the Army’s 1 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, gave details about the Chinnigam encounter. He said on July 6, a cordon and search operation was laid, during which a soldier noticed the movement of people wearing Pheran (Kashmiri long robe mostly worn in winter) during summers.

“On being challenged, the group opened indiscriminate firing. Our parties retaliated and in this exchange of fire, we lost a brave soldier. In the 24-hour long operation, four terrorists were killed,” he said, adding that a 6 kg IED was also recovered and it was later destroyed.

Raj added that the killing of six militants in south Kashmir was a huge setback to Hizbul Mujahideen. About the Modergam operation, Brigadier Anirudh Chauhan of Army’s 2 Sector RR said the security forces had been tracking the group for two months.

“The operation continued for more than 24 hours and two terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen, including a top commander of the group, were killed,” he said, adding that all nearby civilians were evacuated during the operation.

He added that the killing of its top leadership was a big jolt to the Hizbul Mujahideen and the outfit would take long time to “overcome the setback”.