Three newly recruited militants affiliated with militant organization Al-Badr were killed in an encounter at Shopian district of South Kashmir on Thursday.
A senior police officer told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that three newly recruited militants were killed in Kanigam village in Imam Sahib belt of Shopian while as one militant surrendered before forces.
He said that due to the efforts of police, security forces and family members, one militant surrendered, however, three others turned down all the repeated surrenders offers.
The official said that a joint team of Police, Army’s 44 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on specific information about the presence of militants in the area.
He said that as the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter.
Sources said that the fourth militant who surrendered before forces had left home just few hours before he got trapped in the encounter while as two among the slain had joined militant ranks just three to four days ago only.
Police in a statement said that during the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given an opportunity to surrender. Family members of the trapped militants were also called to the encounter site to motivate and persuade them to surrender.
“Due to the great efforts and utmost patience of police, security forces and repeated surrender appeals with the help of their family members, one of the trapped militant Tausif Ahmad ultimately surrendered and laid down his arms before the joint security forces. The surrendered militant later also appealed to his trapped companions to surrender, however, they turned down the surrender offers and fired indiscriminately at joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter,” the statement said.
“In the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Danish Mir, Mohd Umer Bhat both residents of Khajapora Shopian and Zaid Bashir Reshi resident of Raben Shopian. As per police records, they were affiliated with proscribed militant outfit Al-Badr,” the police statement added.
IGP Kashmir Shri Vijay Kumar congratulated the joint team of police and security forces for showing utmost patience and exhibiting professionalism, which resulted in saving the life of a misguided youth. “IGP Kashmir once again makes a fervent appeal to all misguided 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. We will welcome and accept them with open arms,” the police spokesman said.
The police statement said that incriminating materials including arms & ammunition have been 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 crimes,” the police statement reads.
The last rites of the killed militant shall be performed after conducting medico-legal formalities 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,” the statement said—(KNO)