Three local terrorists were killed in a brief encounter in south Kashmir’s Tral sub-division on Wednesday while a protester was shot dead while marching towards the encounter site. The terrorists received the jolt at a time when northern army commander lt Gen D Anbu was in the south Kashmir region to oversee the ground situation.
Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range), Munir Ahmad Khan said that the three terrorists were killed during an encounter at Wonibatoo (Gulab Bagh) area of Tral, around 35 kilometers from here.
The slain terrorists were identified as Zahid Ahmed Bhat and Ishfaq Ahmed, both Tral residents and Ashraf Dar from Trich village in neighbouring Pulwama area. Sources said that the terrorists were walking along a rivulet flowing amid paddy fields when they were challenged by security forces, who apparently had tip off on their movement. This resulted into the death of terrorists in a brief encounter. There was no casualty on the security forces side.
Soon after the encounter ended, people came out in large numbers in several villages to hold protests. The security forces fired pellets to disperse protesters at Nowdal village that led to grievous injuries to 17-year-old protester Muhammad Younis Sheikh. He was taken to hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
Police said the slain militants belonged to a terrorist group led by Zakir Musa, a former Hizbul Mujahideen leader and Burhan Wani aide, who closed ranks with the outfit and floated an al-Qaeda affiliate, Ansar Gazwatul Hind. last wek Musa said that Abu Dujana and Arif lelhari were also affiliated to his group who were killed by security forces last month.
Police said that two AK 47 rifles and one pistol were seized from the encounter site. “Ishaq Bhat was involved in firing upon police personnel Gani Bhat resulting in his grievous injuries. He was also involved in shooting thrashing and torturing of some special police officials on gunpoint and circulated the same on social media,” police spokesman said adding Zahid Rashid Bhat was involved in hurling grenade on CRPF personnel,” police said adding the slain terrorists were also involved in various grenade attacks in South Kashmir.
Meanwhile, in a new twist to the encounter, a Hizbul Mujahideen spokesman said the trio was on way to re-join Hizb outfit after leaving Ansar Ghazwatul Hind when they were caught in an encounter.
“Zahid Ahmed, Ishfaq Ahmed and Muhammad Ashraf who were part of so-called Zakir Musa group were coming back to re-join Hizbul Mujahideen and on way got killed in a gunfight,” Operational Spokesperson Burhanuddin told local news gatherer CNS over the phone.
Ansar-Gazwatul Hind headed by Zakir Musa has been created to divide Kashmir nation. We will issue a detailed statement in this regard and will also expose the elements behind this conspiracy,” Burhanuddin said.
The statement indicates that chinks have widened in militant groups in south Kashmir after the emergence of Zakir Musa. Musa has been vocal against Pakistan and his followers disallow people to drape bodies of terrorists in Pakistani flag.
The Tral encounter took place at a time when Northern Army Commander lt Gen D Anbu was on a visit to south Kashmir along-with XV Corps Commander lt Gen JS Sandhu. The two officers were briefed on all aspects of security and operational preparedness in the Valley by the field officers. “The Army Commander exhorted the commanders and troops to keep up the pressure on the terrorists in the Valley and appreciated the synergy being shown amongst all security agencies and complimented the troops for undertaking operations with firmness and resolve. He also encouraged the soldiers deployed in the Valley to continue utmost vigil and operational focus and assured full support for their endeavours,” a defence spokesman said in a statement.