Srinagar: A militant was captured alive with an AK 47 rifle during a gunfight with the security forces in Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday, Army said.
In a tweet, an army spokesman said that a militant opened fire at a joint Mobile Vehicle Check Post at Chadoora today morning.
He said the area was cordoned off and extensive searches were carried out during which one militant was apprehended with one AK rifle.
“Joint op concluded,” tweeted the Army’s Chinar Corps.
Quoting the sources, news agency GNS reported that the apprehended militant has been identified as Jahangir Ahmad Bhat of Chadoora, who had joined militancy recently.
The mobile Internet service that was suspended following the gunfight has been restored in the district, a police official said.
Meanwhile, Police on Friday arrested six persons who they claimed were associates of the militants involved in recent highway attacks.
Addressing a press conference at police station Pantha Chowk, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that a series of attacks took place from August 14 this year to October 05 that include an attack on police and SSB men at Nowgam, Srinagar on August 14 in which two policemen were killed and one INSAS rifle was snatched as well.
Similarly, on September 21, militants attacked a road opening party (RoP) at new bypass, and on September 25 militants attacked the CRPF party at Chadoora in which one CRPF man was killed and his weapon was also snatched.
On October 05, another attack was carried out at RoP of CRPF at Tengan, By-pass in which two CRPF men were killed and four others injured, the IGP said, as per news agency KNO.
He said in order to investigate the attacks, different teams were constituted by the police West Zone Srinagar.
“Around 9 to 10 suspects were identified and subsequently picked up by these teams. The teams were able to identify the links through human intelligence. Raids were conducted in Chadoora, Budgam, Nowgam and other areas of district Srinagar. The suspects were subjected to sustained interrogation and during interrogation they confessed about their involvement,” the IGP said, adding that pinpoint location of the house where militants involved in these attacks were hiding at Barzullah, Srinagar was also obtained using human intelligence.
The IGP said that six militant associates were arrested. He identified the arrested persons as Waseem Ahemd Ganai of Ganaimohalla, Chatergam, Chadoora; Faisal Mushtaq Ganai of Aribagh, Nowgam; Shakir Ahmed Dar of Marvel, Kakapora, Pulwama; Suhail Shabir Ganai of Ganai Mohalla Chattergam, Chadoora, Budgam; Umar Nisar of Iqbal Colony Wanbal, Shakerpora, Nowgam, Srinagar, and Sahil Nisar of Aribagh, Nowgam.
He said that six vehicles were also seized from the arrested militant associates that include Tavera, Pulsar bike, Yamaha bike, Alto white colour, Alto-800 and another motorcycle.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar on Friday said that the Special Police Officer (SPO) who had gone missing three days back has joined militant ranks and that he managed to escape from a gunfight site in Chadoora area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
“The missing SPO escaped from the site during gunfight,” news agency GNS quoted IGP as saying.
The SPO has been identified as Altaf Hassan, son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat of Qazipora Chadoora, who was posted at SOG Camp Chadoora and went missing along with two AK-47 rifles and three magazines on Wednesday.
