Militant ‘directly involved in killing of Rahul, Ambreen Bhat’ among 3 slain in Budgam

Militant ‘directly involved in killing of Rahul, Ambreen Bhat’ among 3 slain in Budgam

Lateef Najar was a most-wanted militant who was released on health grounds last year; 2 other slain militants both from Srinagar: ADGP
Suhail A Shah
Anantnag: Three militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, “one of them involved in the killing of Kashmiri Pandit Rahul Bhat and TV actress Ambreen Bhat”, were killed in a gunfight with government forces in Budgam district, the police said on Wednesday.
Terming the killing of the militants as a success and delivery of justice, police said that Lateef Najar alias Abdullah, one of the slain militants, was “directly involved in the killing of Rahul Bhat, Ambreen Bhat, and other civilians”.
“Justice has been delivered,” Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said.
“He was a most wanted militant. Had joined ranks in 2001 and remained active till 2013 before getting arrested. He was released on health grounds last year and joined militant ranks yet again,” Kumar said.
He said that Rather used to be the right-hand man of slain LeT militant Abu Qasim and had provided logistics in an attack on security forces in Hyderpora in 2013. “Eight forces personnel were killed in the attack,” Kumar said.
He said that Rather was involved in other attacks as well, “including the killing of Rahul Bhat and Ambreen Bhat, after he was released from jail and joined ranks again”.
“The other militants have been identified as Saqib and Muzaffar, both from Srinagar,” Kumar informed.
Rahul Bhat was a Kashmiri Pandit and an employee of the Revenue department. He was shot at and killed on May 12 this year inside his office at Chadoora Tehsil office in Budgam district.
Kashmiri Pandits had taken to the streets after the 35-year-old’s killing and had held protest demonstrations across Kashmir valley and in many parts of Jammu.
Days after Rahul’s killing, on May 25, TV actress Ambreen Bhat was shot dead inside her house in a Budgam village. Her minor nephew was also injured in the attack.
Only two days after her killing, two LeT militants were killed in Awantipora area of Pulwama district who, Kumar had maintained, were involved in Ambreen’s killing. “Justice has been served,” he had said.
The gunfight today took place in Waterhail area of Budgam district in central Kashmir. A joint team of government forces had cordoned off the area, following inputs regarding the presence of militants there.
“Contact was soon established with the hiding militants and they were asked to lay down their arms. They however chose to fire indiscriminately,” a senior police official from the area said.
He added that the fire was retaliated and a gunfight, that lasted through most part of the day, ended with the killing of three militants. “Bodies, along with arms and ammunition, have been retrieved and will be sent for burial after their identities are ascertained and other medico-legal formalities are completed,” the official said.
The authorities have refused to hand over bodies of slain militants to their families, citing Covid protocol, since April 2020. The practice of burying militants at undisclosed locations in presence of a few family members has continued ever since. This has prevented people from holding massive funeral prayers for slain militants, wherein tens of thousands of people would normally participate.
Today’s militant killings were the first in the current month. In an earlier gunfight on August 5, in Redwini area of Kulgam district, a civilian was killed and an army man was injured while the militants managed to escape.

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