Srinagar: The three militants killed in a gunfight with government forces on Tuesday in south Kashmir’s Shopian district have been identified as a Hizbul Mujahideen district commander, another of his associate and nephew of a former PDO MLC, offcials said.
The trio was killed in the gunfight in Turkwangam area of the south Kashmir district this morning.

While police said that the identity of the slain militants was yet to be ascertained, official sources identified the slain as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen district Commander Zubair Wani of Turkawangam, Kamran Manhas, nephew of former PDP MLC Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, a resident of Shadab Karewa and Muneeb-ul-Haq of Sugan Zainapora Shopian.

Kamran had announced joining the Hizb ranks in January 2019 and a picture showing him holding an AK-47 rifle went viral on social media then.

He was the first youth from the Shadab Karewa village to join militancy in more than twenty years.

With the fresh killings, 19 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants have been killed in Shopian and Kulgam district this month alone.

Meanwhile, internet services have been suspended in Shopian district to prevent protests, sources added. (GNS)

Reader correspondent