Slain militants involved in killings of policemen, non-locals: IGP

Anantnag: A Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in a “chance” encounter with government forces in Srinagar city on Sunday, even as the ongoing gunfight in Pulwama district concluded Sunday morning with the killing of three militants from the same outfit, the police said.
The killings have taken the tally of militants slain in the last twenty-four hours to five, including the one killed in Kulgam district on Saturday morning.
“A hundred militants have been killed in the current year thus far,” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said today. Nine of these slain have been killed in the month of June, and 26 have been killed since May 25.
Kumar said that on Sunday evening there was a chance encounter between a “small” team of police and a militant in Kreesbal Palpora in Sangam area of Srinagar. “One militant of LeT was killed in the gunfight,” Kumar said.
The slain militant has been identified as Adil Parray, a resident of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Kumar claimed that Parray was involved in the killing of a policeman in Soura area of Srinagar and injuring his 9-year-old daughter in May.
“He was also involved in the killing of another policeman Ghulam Hassan Dar in Sangam,” Kumar said.
There were no inputs on any recovery or further details on the Srinagar gunfight when this report was filed.
In Drabgam area of Pulwama district, the gunfight that had commenced on Saturday evening concluded this morning with the killing of three Lashkar-e-Toiba militants.
“One of the militants was killed in the initial stages of the gunfight, while the other two were subsequently killed late Saturday night as fresh contact was established with the hiding militants,” a senior police official from Pulwama district said.
He said that the slain militants have been identified as Junaid Ahmad Shergojri of Gadoora, Fazil Nazir Bhat of Drabgam, and Irfan Ahmad Malik of Arbal Nikas, all areas in Pulwama district.
Kumar said that the slain militants were involved in attacks on government forces and “civilian atrocities”.
“Junaid Shergojri was involved in the killing of policeman Riyaz Ahmad, outside his home, in Monghama area of Pulwama district on May 13,” Kumar said, adding that he was also involved in the attack on non-local labourers in Chadoora area of Budgam district earlier this month.
Police said that some incriminating material, along with arms and ammunition, has been retrieved from the possession of the slain militants. “The bodies of all the slain have been retrieved and will be sent for burial to north Kashmir following completion of medico-legal formalities,” a police official said.

Suhail A Shah