Anantnag: A militant from Srinagar was among three killed in a gunfight with government forces in south Kashmir’s Kokernag village on Tuesday morning.
The slain militants were identified as Ubaid Shafi alias Abdullah son of Mohammad Shafi Dar, a resident of Batamaloo in Srinagar, Ilyas Ahmad Dar alias Sameer son of Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Danwathpora, Kokarnag in Anantnag district and Aqib Ahmad Lone alias Sahil son of Muhammad Amin of Khandaypora village in Kulgam district.
“They belonged to LeT (Lashkar-e-Toiba) and had cases against them of attacks carried out against security forces,” a senior police official told Kashmir Reader.
The official said Ubaid from Batamaloo was also involved in the April 1 attack in Aribagh area of Nowgam in Srinagar. A policeman was killed in the attack.
According to police, a cordon and search operation was launched after specific inputs about presence of militants in Sheikhpora village of Vailoo in Kokernag area.
“The CASO was laid at about 4 AM and soon after contact was established with militants. They were holed up in a residential house,” said the police official.
The house where the militants were holed up was almost damaged completely in the gunfight as forces used explosives to kill the militants.
Locals, meanwhile, said that forces used heavy explosives to blow up the house. “The house caught fire in the process and was completely damaged,” local sources said.
The police officer added that the militants were given a chance to surrender but they chose to fire instead. “The fire was retaliated but not before the civilians trapped in the area were taken to safety. All the three militants were killed in the ensuing gunfight,” he added.
“The bodies of the militants, after last rites, will be taken to north Kashmir for burial in presence of a few close family members,” the police said.
The authorities are not handing bodies of militants to their families since last year citing Covid as the reason for not allowing gatherings.
He added that an AK-4 and two pistols were retrieved from the bodies of the militants. Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar has meanwhile congratulated the forces for carrying out a “clean” operation, without any collateral damage.
Meanwhile, mobile internet services were not snapped in Anantnag district as is a practice when gunfight erupts.

Suhail A Shah