JAMMU & KASHMIR: Police Version on Shopian and Anantnag Encounter
Police Version on Shopian Encounter Involving Killing of 3 Militants
SHOPIAN, Apr 11: Jammu Kashmir police has on Sunday issued a press statement into an encounter in south-Kashmir’s Shopian district involving killing of a militant trio.
The handout issued to media reads that “Yesterday at about 1700hrs, on a specific input generated by Shopian Police regarding presence of militants in orchards of Reban Bandpawa area of Shopian, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 34RR and 178Bn CRPF in the said area.”
During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given an opportunity to surrender, however they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. In the initial retaliatory firing, one militant was killed, but the operation was suspended to give the trapped militants another chance to surrender, the statement maintained.
“The joint teams exercised maximum restraint and facilitated the presence of family members of a holed up militant Faisal Gulzar to encounter site so as to persuade him to surrender. However, despite repeated appeals by his family members and assurances by the security forces, the other militants didn’t allow him to surrender. Ultimately in the wee hours, during the fierce gunfight both the trapped militants were killed and bodies of all the three killed militants were recovered from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Aasif Ahmad Ganai and Faisal Gulzar Ganai both the residents of Chitragam Kalan. However, identity of the 3rd killed militants is being ascertained. As per police records, they were part of groups involved in many militancy-related cases and linked with proscribed outfit Al-Badr”, the statement maintains.
Arms & ammunition including 01 AK-56 rifle, 2 pistols and other incriminating materials were recovered from the site of encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other related crimes, the statement reads.
The last rites of the killed militants shall be performed after conducting medico-legal formalities at Handwara and their nearest family members shall be allowed to participate in the last rites.
‘In this connection police have registered a case under relevant sections of law and investigation has been initiated. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared off of all the explosive materials, if any.’
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Police version on Bijbehara Encounter
Anantnag, Apr 11:Yesterday at about 1710hrs, Anantnag Police acting on specific input regarding presence of militants in a residential house at village Semthan area of Bijbehara , a joint operation was launched yesterday on 10/04/2021 by Police, 3RR Army and CRPF 90Bn. While searching the target house, militants hiding their opened indiscriminate fire on search parties, which was retaliated. Amidst the ensuing encounter, all the civilians trapped in the gunfire were evacuated to safety and the operation was halted for the night.
While ensuring all civilians are safe, the operation was resumed today morning and both the militants got killed in the exchange of fire. They were given ample opportunities to surrender and face the law. Two AK series rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the possession of killed militants.
The killed militants were identified as Towseef Ahmad Bhat son of Mohammad Ramzan resident of Takia Maqbool Shah Bijbehara and Aamir Hussain Ganie son of Ab Rashid resident of Goriwan Bijbehara, Anantnag. While as Towseef was active since 2017 and Aamir had joined militants ranks in the year 2018.
Both of them were wanted in many crimes including in the killing of an off-duty Territorial Amt solider Mohamamd Saleem Akhoon who was killed by them near his home in Goriwan Bijbehara on Friday. After this incident, round the clock track teams set out to track them down to bring them to justice. The teams finally zeroed them in resulting in encounter.
They were also wanted by law in Case FIR No. 07/2020 of PS Bijbehara which was registered last year after an attack on CRPF party in which one CRPF jawan had got killed. The killed duo had been threatening and intimidating the civilian population of the area and enticing the young boys to join militant ranks.
The dead bodies af the by medico legal formalities have been sent for burial in presence of family members.
Further “IGP Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar-IPS congratulated the joint team of police and security forces for showing utmost patience and conducting operation in a professional manner.”
IGP Kashmir, according to the statement, once again makes a fervent appeal to all youth who have joined militant ranks to shun the path of violence and return to mainstream as the society needs them and most importantly their parents. He further said that we will welcome and accept them with open arms.(KN)