Security forces shot dead “Divisional Commander” of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit during an encounter in north Kashmir's Kupwara pocket on Tuesday, while suspected militants snatched the service rifle of a ruling BJP leader's security guard in capital Srinagar.
Defence sources said that the militant was tracked down during a joint operation of police and Army, following specific information about the presence of militants at Nagri village near Drugmulla in north Kashmir's Kupwara District.
They said the militant opened fire on the security forces, when he was challenged. The exchange of fire resulted in death of a militant. A Chinese pistol, ammunition and other war-like stores were recovered from his possession.
The slain militant was identified as Sameer Ahmad Wani alias Janaa resident of Sopore are of north Kashmir, who had joined Hizbul Mujahideen outfit in the year 2014. He was the outfit's “Divisional Commander” for north Kashmir.
Soon after the news spread about Wani's death, sporadic protests erupted in Sopore area that has remained volatile in the past. A group of protesters intercepted a police vehicle at Shiva Village and torched it. The police vehicle was carrying under-trials escorted by police personnel and they were on their way to Bandipora from Kupwara. The under-trials and police personnel escaped unhurt in the incident.
Scores of locals staged protest demonstrations and pelted stones at police vehicles. The police resorted to tear smoke shelling in the area to disperse the protesters.
Meanwhile, suspected militants decamped with service rifle of a security guard detailed with a ruling BJP member in Kashmir.
The BJP activist Abdul Rehman Chopan, a resident of Panzan village in the central district Budgam, on Tuesday morning complained to police that a group of gunmen barged into his house and snatched the service rifle of his PSO, Bashir Ahmed. While the PSO was not in the house, the suspected militants did not cause any harm to the BJP leader either.
The Kashmir Valley has witnessed spurt in violent activities during the past three weeks. While security forces shot dead more than a dozen militants in separate encounters in north Kashmir, the militants struck in a big way on June 25 at Pampore in south Kashmir and killed eight Central Reserve Police Force personnel in an ambush on a convoy. Around 22 troopers were wounded in the attack that also led to the killing of two lashkar-e-Tayyeba attackers.