December 22
Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday claimed that the six militants killed in a gunfight with the forces in Arampora village of Tral were involved in several attacks on ‘security establishments’.
A police spokesman in a statement said, “based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Arampora area of Tral, a cordon and search operation was launched by forces in the area today morning.
“As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated leading to a gunfight,” he said. “In the ensuing encounter, six militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of the encounter,” said the spokesman.
“Pertinently no collateral damage took place during the encounter.” The slain militants have been identified as Soliha Mohammad Akhoon son of Ghulam Mohammad Akhoon resident of Arampora Tral, Faisal resident of Amlar, Nadeem Ahmad Sofi son of Muzzafar Ahmad Sofi resident of Batagund Tral, Rasiq Mir son of Ghulam Qadir Mir resident of Mir Mohalla Dadsara Tral, Rouf and Umar both residents of Dadsara Tral.
“All the six militants were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of crimes including the attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities. This militant group was part of Zakir Mousa faction and was active in district Pulwama,” a police spokesman said.
“As per Police records, Rasiq had a long history of criminal records since last five years. Several cases were registered against him including case FIR number 170/2016 under section 13, 18, 18E, 20 ULAP Act,” he said. “Soliha according to police records also had a long history of crimes since 2015 and was involved in several attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area,” said police spokesman.
“Similarly Nadeem and Umar were also involved in several crimes. Also, Rouf and Faisal were involved in planning and executing many attacks in the area.”
“Bodies of all the six militants after completion of medico-legal formalities were handed over to their legal heirs,” he said.
“Arms & ammunition including rifles were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and probe their complicity in other cases,” a police spokesman said.
“Citizens are once again requested not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials. People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials,” a police spokesman in a statement said.