Pulwama, Dec 29: Four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, including one suspected to be from Pakistan, were killed Saturday in an encounter with government forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Nearly twenty-eight civilians were also injured in clashes near the encounter site.
Acting on specific information about the presence of militants in the Hanjan Payeen area of Rajpora, government forces launched a cordon and search operation in the wee hours today, a police spokesman said.
He said as the forces were conducting searches when the hiding militants opened fire at them.
The forces retaliated, leading to an encounter in which four militants were killed, the spokesman said.
He said the slain militants were identified as Muzamil Ahmad Dar, son of Ghulam Nabi Dar, resident of Rahmoo Pulwama; Waseem Akram Wani, son of Mohammad Akram Wani, resident of Tiken Batapora Pulwama; and Muzamil Nazir Bhat, son of Nazir Ahmad Bhat, resident of Prichoo Pulwama.
“From the incriminating materials found at the encounter site, fourth militant is learnt to be from Pakistan,” the spokesman said, adding the bodies of the slain local militants were handed over to the next of their kin.
All the militants were affiliated with JeM outfit and wanted for their complicity in a series of militancy incidents, he said.
“Arms and ammunition, including rifles, were found at the encounter site. The seized items have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the militants’ complicity in other terror cases,” he added.
The spokesman also said the encounter has ended, and advised people not to visit the site of the gunfight as there is an apprehension of some explosives being present there.
Meanwhile, clashes broke out near the gunfight site as groups of youth pelted stones on the government forces immediately after the gunfight began.
A health official said that 28 protesters were injured in clashes with government forces. While 24 of them were being treated at Public Health Centre Rajpora, four injured civilians were referred to Srinagar hospitals for specialised treatment.
According to the locals, one of the slain militants Muzamil Nabi Dar doing his BCA at Government Degree College Pulwama before joining JeM militant outfit in April this year.
He is survived by parents and a brother who works as a driver.
Another militant Waseem Ahmad Wani, son of Mohammad Yousuf Wani of Ticken village is survived by parents and two brothers. He had joined militancy in July 2017 when he was a student of Degree College Pulwama.
Muzamil Nazir Bhat from Prichoo village was a school dropout.
Nazir Bhat, father of slain Muzamil, addressed people before the funeral prayers of his son and thanked people who had sheltered his son while he was a militant. He also asked people to pardon him if ever his son had misbehaved with anyone.
Thousands of people turned up for the funeral prayers of all the three slain militants in their respective villages and multiple rounds of funerals were held for them.
Pulwama town and adjoining areas remained shut today and Internet service was also suspended following today’s gunfight.
Pulwama minor succumbs to blast injuries
Srinagar, Dec 29: A 10-year-old-boy who was injured critically in a mysterious blast in Gadoora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday succumbed at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar.
Arif Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Ghani Dar, a resident of Larrow succumbed due to grave injuries at SMHS Hospital this evening, a doctor who operated upon the minor was quoted as saying by news agency GNS.
Earlier, SSP Pulwama Chandan Kohli had told the news agency that the boy was injured while he was fiddling with some explosive material in an orchard at Gadoora.
