Second time in a week Hajin wakes up to gunfire   

Hajin: A militant reportedly belonging to the militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba was killed in an encounter with government forces at Hajin village of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Thursday morning.

According to the sources, a joint team of army’s 13 RR and SOG Bandipora laid a siege to Sukur-din-Mohalla in Hajin following specific inputs about the presence of some militants.

Soon after the joint team intensified the searches and opened some warning shots towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants opened fire, triggering off an encounter.

Colonel Kamal Thapa of 13 RR in Bandipora said that the army had inputs about the presence of one to two militants in a group of residential houses in Shakurdin Mohalla in Hajin.

“We launched cordon and search operation. We saw suspicious movement and it was confirmed beyond doubt that a militant was firing towards the army men. The militant was soon neutralized,” Colonel Thapa said.

Police said that a foreign militant of banned Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit was killed in an encounter at Hajin area of north Kashmir.

“A team of SFs including JK Police, 13 RR, and CRPF 45 cordoned  at Shakoor Din Mohalla in Hajin Bandipora early this morning where exchange of firing took place between  SFs and the hiding militants,” police said in a statement.

Police added that arms and ammunition including Ak47 rifles and other incriminating material were recovered.

“We searched the house and AK 47, magazine, ammunition, Mobile phones, currencies and other documents were found,” Colonel Thapa added.

He said that there was no collateral damage or inconvenience to any civilian.

Police said that on the basis of the evidence collected so far in the instant case, it prima facie establishes that the dead militant belonged LeT and is a Pakistani national.

Police said that a case has been registered and investigation has been started under the relevant provision of the law by the Police.

Meanwhile, following the encounter people came out on the roads and pelted forces with stones which triggered massive clashes between forces and locals. The operation was later called off to prevent any law and order situation, the official said.

Pertinently, the internet services were also suspended in the area as a precautionary measure.

Notably, two days earlier a foreign militant was also killed in a brief exchange of fire in the same village.

The brief gunfight had taken place in Bon Mohalla area of Hajin following which a civilian protest had broken out in the area. Taking advantage of the clashes between the civilians and government forces, the hiding militants had managed to escape, police said. However, one of the militant who was injured in that encounter was found dead on Tuesday.

He was later buried in the local graveyard in Hajjin forcing police to register a case against the locals as authorities had barred people from burying the foreign militants after a huge funeral was witnessed to Abu Qasim, Lashkar-e-Toiba commander who was killed in a gunfight with government forces in 2015.

 

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