Two Jaish militants killed in Shopian gunfight

Srinagar, Apr 13: Two militants were killed in a brief gunfight with government forces in Gehand area in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday.

Reports said that a joint of army’s 34RR and SOG launched a cordon and search operation in an orchard at Gehand.

An official said that the cordon and search operation was launched following credible input about the presence of some militants in the area.

He said that soon after the joint team of forces arrived in the area, the militant opened indiscriminate fire, which was retaliated leading to a brief shootout.

During the gunfight, two militants were killed. The slain were identified as Abid Wagay resident of Rawalpora Shopian and Shahjahan Mir resident of Amshepora Shopian.

According to the police records, both the killed militants were affiliated with outfit JeM.

A police spokesperson claimed that the slain militants were involved in the killing of Special Police Officer (SPO) Khushboo Jan earlier this year.

The spokesperson in a statement also added that both of them were also involved in various abductions or killings and gutting Panchayat Ghars.

“They were involved in the killing of the lady Khusboo Jan at Vehil Shopian earlier this year,” the spokesperson said.

On March 16, Khushboo was fired at from a close range near her house around 2:40 p.m. She breathed her last on the way to the nearby hospital.

“Both the militants were responsible for either killing or adduction of the following people across south Kashmir in last few months: civilians Firdous Ahmad of Batgund, Nissar Ahmad of Kapran, Huzaif Ashraf Kuttay resident of Manzgam, D.H Pora and Tanveer Ahmad of Bemnipora; policeman Balwant Singh of Batgund in 2018, and Saqib Mohi-ud-Din,” the spokesperson said.

He said that both of them were also involved in arson and setting ablaze of Panchayat Ghars at Kanjiullar and Ramnagar.

The spokesman claimed that Shahjahan was also involved in snatching of weapons and killing of four police personnel near petrol pump at Arhama Shopian last year in 2018.

“Several militant crime cases were registered against both of them for planning and executing militant attacks on security establishments and killing of civilians in the area,” the spokesman said.

The encounter triggered massive clashes between forces and the youth in which at least 20 protesters sustained injuries, many of them with pellets. They were shifted to nearby medical facility.

Meanwhile, thousands of people assembled at native village of slain militants participate in the funeral while as a group of militants also offered gun salute as well.