A top-ranking militant of pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen outfit was killed on Sunday in a brief encounter with security forces in a south Kashmir village after security forces cordoned off the area. local residents reportedly pelted stones on the security forces when the siege was being laid around the village.
Sources said that the gunfight erupted in Buchroo Village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, around 60 km from here, when acting on specific information about the presence of militants, the joint party of Army and police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation. They said some shots were heard in the open mustard fields between Brazloo and Buchroo villages.
After the exchange of fire, the body of Dawood Ahmad Sheikh was found in the fields. Sheikh was a locally-trained militant from Qaimoh Village of the district who had joined militant ranks in 2014. His pictures donning army fatigues and brandishing automatic weapons along-with Hizb "Divisional Commander" Burhan Muzaffar Wani had gone viral in Kashmir last year.
Superintendent of Police Kulgam Mumtaz Ahmad said that Dawood was killed in the initial round of gunfire between the militants and security forces. He said Dawood was among the most wanted militants in south Kashmir.
The area remained cordoned off till late in the night. There was no word on the fate of another militant accompanying Dawood.
The encounter took place four days after three Hizbul Mujahideen cadres were killed in a gunfight in Dadsara Village of south Kashmir's Tral sub-division. The security forces had sharp Intelligence over the presence of three militants in a house. Then also the residents had attempted to help the militants escape from the area but the security forces chased them away using tear gas.